Korea Football Association Apologizes Over 2016 Referee Misconduct Report

The Korea Football Association (KFA) has issued a formal apology after a 2016 government audit report emerged detailing allegations that the organization spent thousands of dollars on sexual services for foreign referees in the early 2010s, according to Al Jazeera. The governing body of football in South Korea released a statement addressing the revelations after South Korean broadcaster JTBC obtained and published the findings, which had remained undisclosed for a decade.

Korea Football Association Apologizes Over 2016 Referee Misconduct Report

According to CNN, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism originally compiled the report in 2016 following an investigation into KFA corruption during the tenure of former KFA President Cho Chung-yun. The audit analyzed KFA credit card records and employee interviews, concluding that the association paid for inappropriate hospitality, including visits to massage parlors where fees covered sexual services, on multiple occasions between 2011 and 2012.

Details of the Audit Findings

The government investigation found that the KFA organized inappropriate hospitality on at least seven to eight occasions for foreign referees and referee supervisors visiting South Korea. Several of the impacted fixtures involved qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2012 London Olympic Games, alongside international friendlies.

Specific instances cited in the reports include:

An excursion on February 29, 2012, before South Korea played Kuwait in a 2014 World Cup qualifier at Seoul World Cup Stadium, where a KFA credit card was used to pay 500,000 won at a massage parlor in Seoul’s Gangnam District.
An incident involving four referees who officiated a match ahead of the London Olympics, where the KFA spent 760,000 Korean won.
A visit for a referee assessor on March 14, 2012, during an Olympic qualifier match between South Korea and Qatar.
Entertainments provided for three officials from the Chinese Football Association visiting under a referee exchange program.

In total, the KFA spent nearly 5.6 million Korean won on the services during the one-year period. To cover the expenses, KFA employees allegedly filed false expense reports, attributing the charges to meals, drinks, standard post-match drinking, or ordinary massages. Investigators concluded that the misconduct was an institutional problem handled primarily by one employee with the organization’s approval, driven by requests that foreign referees frequently made at airports or hotels.

International Repercussions and Investigations

The surfacing of the report has triggered international reviews. According to VnExpress International, Japanese media reported that the Japan Football Association (JFA) is investigating allegations involving four Japanese referees, including Yuichi Nishimura, who officiated the February 2012 qualifier against Kuwait. The JFA stated that it is currently investigating the matter and plans to publicly release its findings once complete.

Despite the explosive nature of the audit, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has not initiated a criminal reinvestigation into the specific sexual bribery matter because the statute of limitations has expired.

Broader Crisis at the KFA

The historical misconduct allegations compound an ongoing leadership crisis at the KFA, which has faced intense public scrutiny following South Korea’s disappointing performance and group-stage exit at the 2026 World Cup.

Korea Football Association Apologizes Over 2016 Referee Misconduct Report — Photo: VnExpress International

Public anger has centered on transparency issues surrounding the appointment process for former national team head coach Hong Myung-bo. Former KFA president Chung Mong-gyu and former Technical Director Lee Im-saeng faced parliamentary questioning over allegations of abusing their positions, and Seoul police raided the KFA headquarters, seizing mobile phones and other items. Amid the fallout, coach Hong Myung-bo resigned, and the KFA issued an apology on August 8 for the widespread turmoil, pledging to cooperate with authorities to restore stability.