'Shock' Japan: "Korean Referee Prostitution Scandal, JFA Launches Investigation... Official Announcement Expected"

*This content was translated by AI.

As evidence emerged that the Korea Football Association (KFA) had allegedly provided organized prostitution services to foreign referees and assistant referees prior to international matches held in Korea, the Japan Football Association (JFA) has now initiated its own internal investigation targeting its own referees.

Japan's Kyodo News reported on the 9th that "in response to Korean media reports alleging that the KFA provided prostitution services to foreign referees in the past, the JFA has launched an investigation into four Japanese referees who were assigned to matches at the time," adding that "an official public announcement will be made as soon as the investigation results are available."

According to Kyodo News, the investigation targets foreign referee teams assigned to a total of seven matches held in Korea between 2011 and 2012, including the 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifiers. Japanese media further indicate that two of the four Japanese referees who officiated the Brazil World Cup Asian third-round qualifier match between Korea and Kuwait in 2012 were among those who allegedly received prostitution services.

Overseas media outlets have also been covering this scandal extensively day after day, escalating their criticism.

Vietnam's 'VN' reported on the 9th that "a 15-year-old referee prostitution scandal involving the KFA has been exposed," and added that "the fallout from this incident has even raised the possibility of South Korea's bronze medal in men's football at the 2012 London Olympics being stripped." The outlet analyzed that "unlike FIFA, which has a statute of limitations system, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has its own regulations allowing it to impose sanctions regardless of time limits for acts that seriously undermine sportsmanship."

European media also continued their condemnation. Britain's 'The Independent' stated that "after revelations emerged that the KFA provided inappropriate hospitality, including prostitution, to foreign referees who visited Korea over a decade ago, it eventually issued an official apology," and noted that "this incident has further fueled public outrage amid recent controversies surrounding the appointment of coach Hong Myung-bo, police raids on the KFA headquarters, and South Korea's early exit from the group stage of the 2026 World Cup."

Britain's 'Daily Mail' also reported that "the KFA acknowledged reports alleging it provided prostitution services to visiting referees in the past and issued an apology," covering the matter in detail.

Reactions from Asian media have also been cold. Earlier, Japan's 'Tokyo Sports' announced that "allegations surfaced that the Korean Football Association provided prostitution services to foreign referees, sparking widespread controversy," while 'Soccer Digest' warned that "another shameful record has been added to Korean football," noting that multiple Asian referee teams, including those from Japan, were among the recipients of such hospitality and raising the possibility of Olympic medals being confiscated.

China's 'Sina Sports' even brought up the controversy surrounding controversial refereeing decisions during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. The outlet claimed that "the series of erroneous calls in matches against Portugal, Italy, and Spain have remained the biggest blemish in football history."

It further added, "Even if FIFA cannot impose official sanctions due to reasons such as the expiration of the statute of limitations, South Korean football has suffered irreparable damage to its credibility. The fact that Korean referees have been consistently excluded from World Cup stages is also not unrelated to these controversies."

According to JTBC, a 2016 audit report by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revealed that the KFA provided prostitution services to over ten foreign referees across seven matches between 2011 and 2012, including Brazil World Cup qualifiers and London Olympics final qualifiers. Payments were made using corporate cards at massage parlors in both metropolitan and regional areas. Notably, during a World Cup qualifier match in February 2012, an official internal approval document titled "Referee Massage" was prepared, reviewed by operational staff and department heads, and ultimately approved by the vice president. During these seven matches, the South Korean national team achieved an undefeated record of five wins and two draws.

Even more disturbingly, it emerged that such behavior was perceived as a routine practice within the association at the time. When a KFA official testified that the hospitality was "a customary practice," it put even Korea's historical achievements in football prior to 2011 at risk of being discredited.

As the controversy intensified, the KFA issued an official apology statement, saying, "We deeply apologize for causing concern with reports about events from over a decade ago that were unknown even to internal members, following National Assembly hearings and police raids," and added, "Currently, no such inappropriate behavior or use of corporate cards is occurring, and we will undertake rigorous organizational reforms in light of this incident."

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*This content was translated by AI.