Korean football scandal set to spread

As Korea suffers in the heat of a relentless summer, the Korea Football Association (KFA) is in danger of undergoing a total meltdown with consequences that are impossible to foresee. Just when you think the football situation in the country could not get any worse, it does. If only events on the field were able to make these many headlines, then we would all be in a better position.

For those who have been lying in a dark air-conditioned room for the last few weeks, a quick recap: Korea's showing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup ended in disaster, coach Hong Myung-bo and KFA chief Chung Mong-gyu stepped down amid huge public anger and were then grilled at a parliamentary hearing in July. That would be more than enough drama in most countries but then in August, the police raided KFA offices and a leaked 2016 government audit revealed something else.

It turns out that in 2011 and 2012, officials at the KFA had used corporate credit cards to provide "sexual entertainment" to foreign referees who had come to the country to oversee the qualification games for the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 World Cup.

"We are deeply sorry for the disappointment and concern caused by the various issues and controversies surrounding the association since the 2026 FIFA World Cup," the KFA said.

"We express our sincere apologies for causing concerns over a range of issues, from a parliamentary hearing and an unprecedented police raid to media reports about incidents from more than a decade ago that even members within the federation were unaware of," it added.

Leading football pundit Park Moon-sung was unimpressed with the apology. “Are match-fixing and sexual services — things so disgraceful that I do not even want to mention them — something that can be brushed aside by saying, ‘Why bring up events from more than a decade ago that we did not know about?’” Park wrote on social media.

There may well be more revelations to come but, even if not, the story is spreading. The Japan Football Association has looked at dates and games when its referees were in Korea at the start of the previous decade and are ready to investigate.

The KFA has been lucky so far that the attention of the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA is elsewhere at the moment with Gianni Infantino, president of the world governing body, fighting desperately to stay in his position and the whole of football preparing for what could be a long and drawn out battle. Slowly though, the news has been filtering through.

Sooner or later, obvious questions will be asked. If referees in 2011 and 2012 received special favors from the KFA, then did referees at any other time been given the same treatment?

There was already some controversy in some quarters about Korea’s run to the last four of the 2002 World Cup with some feeling that the Taeguk Warriors benefited from some favorable decisions, especially against Italy and Spain. Any suggestion that the KFA has been involved in dodgy behavior will be seized upon. It would be extremely sad if the exploits of those stars 24 years ago were tainted in any way by the actions of officials years later.

A new start in Korean football may be needed, but without any damage done to the glories of the past.

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