*This content was translated by AI.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) is in turmoil after news emerged that it provided sexual entertainment to foreign referees in the past. Moreover, a former KFA official claimed that such sexual entertainment was treated as "customary," pushing Korean football into a situation where even its past glories could be discredited.
The KFA's organized provision of sexual entertainment was uncovered during an audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2016. At that time, the Ministry confirmed that between March 2011 and March 2012, the KFA provided sexual entertainment to about ten foreign referees involved in seven matches, including the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil qualifiers, the 2012 London Olympics qualifiers, and friendly matches for the A national team and Olympic representative team. This information, previously unknown to the public, has only recently come to light, causing a stir.
Coincidentally, in the seven matches where sexual entertainment was provided to referees, the Korean A national team and the Olympic representative team achieved an undefeated record of five wins and two draws. While it cannot be concluded that this result was due to favorable rulings gained through sexual entertainment, it is also a fact that one cannot definitively claim there was no quid pro quo given the circumstances. Regardless of whether the matches were friendlies or World Cup/Olympic qualifiers, the mere fact that the KFA, as the host of home games, provided sexual entertainment to referees before and after matches is itself inappropriate.
Even more shocking is the characterization of the past sexual entertainment as "customary." According to a JTBC report, a former KFA official explained that providing sexual entertainment to referees was "a customary practice." The internal atmosphere at the KFA, where executives, department heads, and vice presidents repeatedly signed off on approval documents explicitly labeled "referee massage," may support the former official's explanation that it was indeed "customary."
The problem lies in the fact that this shocking statement—that it was a "customary practice"—has been transmitted globally through foreign media outlets. Japanese outlet Football Tribe reported, "A former KFA official testified that 'sexual entertainment for foreign referees was carried out as if it were customary.'" Beyond this, reports on referee sexual entertainment are spreading worldwide without regard to country or continent. This is truly an international disgrace.
Naturally, suspicion has expanded beyond the one-year period from March 2011 when the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism audit was conducted, questioning whether sexual entertainment for foreign referees had already been occurring prior to that. And this suspicion inevitably leads to a negation of Korea's past glories in football.
The 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup quarterfinal myth is particularly representative, especially given that foreign media outlets from Europe and elsewhere have long harbored suspicions about referee bribery. The theory of referee bribery during the World Cup, centered on European media such as those from Spain and Italy who lost to Korea at the time, has been a recurring allegation every World Cup season for over 20 years. With the confirmation that the KFA provided sexual entertainment to referees as an organized practice, and with the revelation that it was viewed as customary, this can no longer be dismissed merely as a "conspiracy theory" raised by defeated teams.
Moreover, the myth of winning the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics is already being tarnished, as evidence of referee sexual entertainment has been confirmed even during the qualification stage. Some are even discussing the possibility of stripping the bronze medal. Furthermore, the more this news spreads, the more negative the global football community's view of Korean football will inevitably become. This is the biggest problem. From now on, whenever Korea gains any advantage in controversial rulings, the past controversy over referee sexual entertainment will inevitably be invoked. This is a regrettable situation that the KFA and Korean football can never avoid in the future.
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*This content was translated by AI.
