A media investigation has revealed that the Korea Football Association provided sexual favors to foreign referees on multiple occasions ahead of key national football matches over a decade ago.
Local broadcaster JTBC confirmed on Thursday that the association arranged illicit hospitality for approximately a dozen referees across seven national matches throughout 2011.
The affected fixtures included critical high-stakes games, such as the qualifiers for the 2014 Brazil World Cup and the final qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympics, as well as several international friendly matches.
The football body reportedly used corporate credit cards to cover hundreds of thousands of won in expenses at various massage parlors.
These activities occurred in multiple match locations across the country, including the capital city of Seoul, as well as Changwon and Ulsan in South Gyeongsang Province.
A football association official active at the time of the incidents explained that providing such services was considered a customary practice within the organization during that period.
In response to the revelations, the Korea Football Association acknowledged that while an unfortunate incident may have occurred fifteen years ago, the organization is now actively working to prevent any recurrence by establishing and enforcing strict internal management guidelines.
