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The KFA has apologized for bribing refs with escort services
The Korea Football Association has issued a public apology after it was reported that it had bribed referees with escort services in the early 2010s. South Korea has qualified for 11 straight World Cups since 1986.
According to a government report that was recently made public, the Korea Football Association (KFA) spent approximately $3,950 (5.6 million Korean won) on sexual services for foreign referees on eight separate occasions surrounding World Cup and Olympic qualifying matches between 2011 and 2012.
The Korea Football Association apologized after a 2016 government report revealed it paid for sexual services for international referees during 2011-2012 qualifying matches
According to the report, KFA staff arranged visits to massage parlors that provided sexual services for international referees, with the expenses disguised in official accounting records as post-match drinks or standard massages. The falsified expense claims were used to conceal the true nature of the payments from official records.
“In a statement published on its website Saturday, the KFA said it ‘deeply apologizes for the concern caused by various issues, ranging from a parliamentary hearing and a search and seizure operation to media reports about events from over a decade ago that many members of the association were unaware of,’ adding that ‘such inappropriate conduct or misuse of corporate cards are absolutely not occurring at present.'”
“In one example listed in the government report, South Korea’s national team played Oman on September 21, 2011 – competing for a spot in the 2012 London Olympics. In the early hours of the following morning, four referees who officiated the match were allegedly taken to a massage parlor by the KFA, which spent 760,000 Korean won ($536).” [via CNN]
The KFA added in its apology that the practices ended in 2013 following the introduction of a “clean card system” and the hiring of external liaison officers to manage relationships with visiting referees.
It’s been a tumultuous summer for South Korean football following the national team’s group-stage exit at the 2026 World Cup, sparking subsequent controversies over the appointment of manager Hong Myung-bo.
Myung-bo resigned on June 28, the day after South Korea’s group-stage elimination from the 2026 World Cup following losses to Mexico and South Africa. South Korea’s president then publicly called Hong “incapable” and ordered a government investigation into both the team’s performance and the process by which Hong was hired.