National football association provided sexual entertainment to foreign referees, JTBC report claims

The Korea Football Association (KFA) allegedly provided sexual entertainment to foreign referees on “multiple occasions” ahead of national team matches in 2011.

The association arranged such entertainment for around 10 referees assigned to seven matches that year, according to a report by JTBC, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, on Thursday. 

The matches included qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2012 London Olympics, as well as international friendlies.

JTBC reported that the KFA used corporate credit cards to pay millions of won for sexual entertainment services at adult entertainment establishments in Seoul, Changwon and Ulsan. 

A then-KFA official told the broadcaster that the practice was “a common practice at the time.”

“There may have been unfortunate incidents 15 years ago, but we have since implemented strict internal guidelines and are making every effort to prevent anything like that from happening again,” the KFA told JTBC.

The footballing federation is currently under scrutiny over its appointment of former national team manager Hong Myung-bo and its overall management.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]