The Korea Football Association (KFA) has formally apologized after a media report alleged that the organization provided "sexual services" to foreign referees when they were in South Korea to officiate international matches more than a decade ago.
According to a report broadcast on August 7 by JTBC television, the KFA provided such services to foreign referees on multiple occasions in 2011 and 2012, including when they visited South Korea for duties at 2014 World Cup qualifiers and the London 2012 Olympics.
In a statement released on August 9, the KFA said: "We offer a deep apology for causing concern over various issues related to the association, arising from parliamentary hearings, unprecedented search-and-seizure operations, and reports about incidents from over a decade ago that many within the organization were not even aware of."
The JTBC report cited a 2016 investigation by South Korea's Ministry of Sports, which found that the KFA provided inappropriate entertainment for foreign referees on seven different occasions between March 2011 and March 2012, including taking them to massage parlors where the costs included payment for sexual services.
The KFA did not immediately respond to an email seeking further comment. However, in its statement, the KFA emphasized: "The association clearly affirms that inappropriate acts of this kind, or the use of corporate cards for such purposes, absolutely do not occur now."
The new allegations add to pressure on the KFA, which is also dealing with a separate controversy concerning the appointment process of national team head coach Hong Myung-bo. Seoul police searched the KFA headquarters on August 7 as part of an investigation related to Hong's appointment, according to police information provided to Reuters.
Hong returned to lead the national team in 2024 after a previous tenure from 2013 to 2014. His appointment drew attention when the KFA abandoned a months-long search with foreign candidates and chose Hong after a brief meeting. Controversy reignited after South Korea's disappointing World Cup campaign, where the team was eliminated in the group stage.
