South Korea FA apologises over allegations of sexual entertainment for foreign referees

South Korea’s football governing body has apologised over allegations that foreign referees were provided with inappropriate entertainment, including sexual services, during international matches more than a decade ago, bringing renewed scrutiny on the Korea Football Association (KFA).

The allegations concern events in 2011 and early 2012, when South Korea hosted matches linked to the qualifying campaigns for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2012 London Olympics, as well as international friendlies. A recent report by South Korean broadcaster JTBC, citing findings from a 2016 government investigation, said the KFA arranged inappropriate entertainment for foreign match officials on seven occasions. Corporate credit cards were allegedly used to pay hundreds of thousands of Korean won at massage parlours in cities including Seoul, Changwon and Ulsan.

The issue dates back roughly 15 years but has resurfaced amid growing scrutiny of the KFA. The 2016 investigation by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism had already identified improper spending and inappropriate use of corporate cards by KFA officials. The ministry said it found irregular expenditure involving 23 former and current KFA employees and referred relevant cases for disciplinary action and investigation.

The allegations have raised questions over whether providing such benefits to match officials could have compromised the integrity of games. However, there is currently no publicly established evidence that any referee altered a match decision or deliberately influenced a result in South Korea’s favour in exchange for the alleged services.

The KFA issued an apology after the allegations resurfaced, acknowledging that inappropriate incidents may have occurred in the past. The association said such practices are no longer tolerated and that stricter internal management and financial controls have since been introduced. The KFA has also previously acknowledged problems involving inappropriate use of corporate cards during the 2011-2012 period.

The latest controversy comes at a particularly difficult time for South Korean football. The KFA is already under investigation over the process used to appoint Hong Myung-bo as national team head coach in 2024. South Korean police raided the association’s headquarters on August 6 as part of a probe into alleged obstruction of business linked to the appointment.

Hong’s appointment had previously drawn criticism after the KFA was accused of bypassing parts of its established selection process. A review by the sports ministry found that the association had failed to follow some of its own procedures in appointing Hong and his predecessor, Jurgen Klinsmann, although it did not find evidence of illegal conduct or grounds to cancel their contracts.

Hong subsequently stepped down after South Korea’s disappointing campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the team failed to advance from the group stage. The combination of the coaching controversy, the police investigation and the resurfaced allegations concerning foreign referees has placed the KFA under renewed pressure over its governance, financial controls and standards of integrity.

-HIS