FIFA World Cup: South Korea FA apologises for providing ‘sexual services’ to referees
The South Korea Football Association has issued a public apology following media reports that it funded “sexual services” for international referees on multiple occasions between March 2011 and March 2012.
The FA, in a recent apology, said most current serving officials had no link to or knowledge of the services but assured that similar inappropriate conduct is not currently taking place.
In response to the report, the KFA said, “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.
“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.
“The association makes clear that inappropriate conduct of this kind, or the use of corporate cards for such purposes, is absolutely not currently taking place.”
The FA pledged to execute sweeping reforms, strengthen transparency and restore its integrity, to meet the public’s expectations.
The report, published on Thursday by South Korean broadcaster JTBC, which cited a 2016 sports ministry investigation, found that the association used corporate credit cards to pay for “inappropriate entertainment” for the foreign match officials seven times during the period.
According to the report, the FA, within the period, provided the visiting match officials with trips to massage parlours and other adult establishments in Seoul and other cities that hosted international matches during the period.
The fees covered the costs of the sexual services, including during the qualifying matches for the 2014 World Cup and the 2012 London Olympics.
The apology followed a parliamentary hearing in July, when Chung Mong-gyu, who resigned as FA president, and Hong Myung-bo, who also resigned as Korea head coach, were probed after the national team’s early exit at the FIFA World Cup in June.
This was also followed this week by a police raid of the FA’s offices over alleged irregularities in the 2024 appointment of Mr Hong.
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