"We must strip away the myth of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup quarterfinals..." Unprecedented referee sex scandal erupts, spiraling into an uncontrollable "international disgrace"

*This content was translated by AI.

This is an unprecedented international disgrace. Shocking revelations that the former Korea Football Association (KFA) provided sexual favors to foreign referees during international matches have drawn intense attention from overseas media outlets.

On the 7th, Japanese outlet "Tokyo Sports" focused heavily on the issue, reporting, "It has been confirmed that the Korea Football Association provided sexual favors to foreign referees, sparking widespread controversy."

The outlet added, "On social networking services (SNS), reactions such as 'Investigate this incident thoroughly,' 'As we feared,' and 'Didn't there also be referee-related misconduct during the 2002 World Cup?' are pouring in."

Another Japanese outlet, "Soccer Digest," similarly stated, "A new stain has been added to Korean football," noting that "the nationalities of foreign referees who received sexual favors included Japan, UAE, Iran, Uzbekistan, and others."

Furthermore, "Soccer Digest" pointed out, "This incident could even lead to the disqualification of South Korea's medals from the 2012 London Olympics. While FIFA sets a statute of limitations of five to ten years for ethical violations, potentially allowing disciplinary action to be avoided, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which oversees the Olympics, operates differently."

It further noted, "Since the IOC applies strict standards without any statute of limitations, if an investigation is launched into acts that tarnish the Olympic spirit, the worst-case scenario could see South Korea's bronze medal from the 2012 London Olympics stripped away."

Previously, JTBC reported, "We obtained a 2016 Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism investigation report on corruption involving KFA executives and staff. It confirmed that the KFA provided inappropriate sexual favors to foreign referees participating in national team matches a total of seven times between March 2011 and March 2012, along with payment records." Among the matches targeted for sexual favors, three were World Cup and Olympic qualifiers.

According to reports, on the early morning of February 29, 2012, the day of the 2014 Brazil World Cup Asian Qualifiers match against Kuwait, a payment of 500,000 won was made at a massage parlor in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, using the KFA's corporate card. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism determined this constituted sexual favors for two referees. A staff member from the referee department who processed the prostitution payment testified, "Foreign referees requested the entertainment first at locations such as airports or accommodations."

Additionally, on September 22 of the same year, immediately after the London Olympics final qualifier match against Oman, a payment of 760,000 won for sexual favors for four referees was made at a massage business in Changwon, Gyeongnam. Circumstances also emerged showing that a corporate card was used at a massage parlor during the match to provide services for referee supervisors responsible for overseeing fair play.

As the scandal reached unprecedented levels, Chinese media outlets joined the criticism by revisiting past controversies over match-fixing and unfair refereeing in Korean football. Chinese outlet "Sina Sports" stated, "The controversy that South Korea bribed referees during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup remains unresolved even after 24 years," intensifying scrutiny of past officiating decisions and allegations of referee bribery.

The outlet further explained, "Countless controversial calls and lenient judgments occurred in matches against Portugal, Italy, Spain, and others, leaving behind one of the darkest chapters in sports history. The former KFA president's remark that 'If I had the ability to bribe referees, why wouldn't I have done so?' has become undeniable moral evidence, deepening suspicions."

Continuing, "Sina Sports" strongly criticized, "Although FIFA has been unable to strip South Korea's 2002 quarterfinal record or impose official penalties due to insufficient evidence and expired statutes of limitations, Korean football has suffered irreversible damage to its reputation. The prevailing view is that the continuous exclusion of Korean referees from World Cup officiating teams is not unrelated to these rumors. Even if victories were achieved, the core value of fairness in sports was compromised, meaning suspicion will persist forever."

As the controversy spiraled out of control, the Korea Football Association issued an apology statement. The KFA stated, "We deeply regret and are concerned about the various disturbances surrounding the association following the 2026 North America World Cup. We sincerely apologize for causing concern from the National Assembly hearings to the unprecedented search and seizure, as well as reports regarding incidents from over a decade ago."

However, the KFA added, "Currently, such inappropriate behavior or use of corporate cards is absolutely not occurring. We hope that the achievements and efforts of national team players who have worn the Taegeuk mark are not misunderstood or diminished by this incident. We will treat this matter as an opportunity for thorough reform to enhance organizational transparency and morality."

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*This content was translated by AI.