15-year scandal uncovered, South Korean football faces a wave of outrage

South Korean football is facing one of the gravest scandals in recent memory, as its media disclosed that the KFA had been found to have allocated funds for recreational activities, including sexual services, connected to several international referees.

On the evening of August 6, multiple South Korean media outlets simultaneously published information about an investigation file concerning KFA expenditures during 2011-2012, when Mr. Cho Chung Yun was president of the federation.

According to information cited by JTBC and other media outlets such as Segye and Daum, the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism had discovered irregular expenditures during an audit of the KFA since 2016.

Most notably, the content alleges that South Korean football officials provided or paid for "sexual services" for international referees on seven occasions during 2011-2012.

The file cited by South Korean media indicates that some referees were taken by KFA officials to illegal establishments, with costs later paid by credit card.

What makes the case even more sensitive is that all seven mentioned cases are believed to involve referees who officiated matches for the South Korean national team or U23 team in World Cup qualifiers and Olympic qualifiers.

The "common practice" remark stirs public anger in South Korea

Not only the controversial expenditures, but also a statement quoted by JTBC from an unnamed KFA official has intensified public outrage. The official is reported to have said: "That could be a common practice. Bribing referees here is even more widespread than abroad."

The identity of the person making the statement was not disclosed by JTBC. However, the explanation using the term "common practice" quickly became a focal point of criticism from the media and fans in South Korea.

Renowned commentator Park Moon Sung was particularly harsh when discussing the case on the program Sports Today.

He stated that if the published information is accurate, this is a "disgrace" and reflects the alarming mindset of some past South Korean football leaders. Park Moon Sung also strongly reacted to the alleged behavior being described as a "common practice."

According to this commentator, if such a view truly existed among football administrators, the incident risks not only remaining domestic but also becoming an international issue.

"It's unbelievable that an official could declare this behavior as a common practice", Park Moon Sung was quoted. He also expressed concern that the justification of "everyone does it" could severely damage the image of South Korean football.

KFA undergoes raid amid comprehensive audit

One of the big questions now is why the file related to the incident, which was recorded by the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2016, only became widely publicized 10 years later.

According to the facts mentioned by South Korean media, the case emerged amid the government's intensified efforts to inspect and rectify the football management system after the 2026 World Cup.

In early July, the South Korean government ordered a comprehensive audit of the KFA. The federation currently receives about 30 billion won, equivalent to approximately 20 million USD, in state budget support each year.

On August 6, South Korean police also conducted a search of the KFA headquarters. Just hours later, information regarding expenditures for international referees during 2011-2012 began to appear in the media.

As of the time the information was published, the KFA had not issued a full official statement regarding all the allegations. An unnamed federation official stated that detailed verification is currently difficult because the retention period for many related documents has expired.

Since the alleged incidents occurred about 15 years ago, South Korean media are reportedly continuing to search for and contact former officials who worked at the KFA during 2011-2012 to clarify the responsibility of involved individuals. The South Korean public is also awaiting an official response from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism regarding the file's contents as well as the results of the inspection of the KFA.

If the information in the file is fully confirmed, this could become a scandal that greatly impacts the reputation of the Korea Football Association, especially since the matter directly involves international referees and matches in World Cup and Olympic qualifiers.