'Korean Legend' Park Ji-sung on KFA Sexual Bribery Scandal: "Nothing to Say, However..."

*This content was translated by AI.

Even Korea's legend finds the current state of Korean football bitter. Amid revelations that the Korea Football Association (KFA) allegedly provided organized sexual bribes to foreign referee teams during past international matches, sparking widespread controversy, Park Ji-sung, Chair of the K-Football Innovation Committee Gong Dong-wi (Director), has shared his thoughts.

During a briefing for the 6th meeting of the Innovation Committee held at the office building of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 11th, Chair Park Ji-sung responded to reporters' questions regarding the recent referee sexual bribery scandal: "This is not an issue that the Innovation Committee can address. There is nothing I can say at this forum." However, he added, "It is undeniable that we have faced a troubling situation. Predicting what outcomes may follow is not easy."

Continuing, Park (Chairman) emphasized, "Given the shocking nature of this situation, it is now time for the entire football community to deeply reflect on how to restore trust and move forward toward the future."

According to a report on investigations into corruption involving KFA executives and staff by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as well as related media coverage, the KFA was found to have provided sexual bribes to over 10 foreign referees and supervisors during a total of seven matches from March 2011 to March 2012, including qualifiers for the 2014 Brazil World Cup and the final round of the London Olympics.

Even more shocking was that payment transactions were made using corporate cards at massage establishments in both the Seoul metropolitan area and regional locations. During a World Cup qualifier match in February 2012, internal approval documents even listed "referee massage" as the purpose, with formal approval completed up to the vice president's LINE account. Furthermore, it was revealed that such practices were considered routine within the association at the time. In those seven matches, the South Korean national team recorded five wins and two draws.

As the controversy escalated, international media criticism continued. The Japan Football Association immediately launched its own investigation into its referees who had officiated matches against South Korea at the time. Media outlets in Vietnam and Japan even raised concerns about the possibility of the IOC stripping South Korea of its bronze medal from the 2012 London Olympics based on IOC regulations. Major international outlets including Britain's The Independent, Daily Mail, and China's Sina Sports focused intensely on how this scandal dealt irreparable damage to the credibility of Korean football.

As the situation spiraled out of control, the KFA issued an official apology statement: "We deeply apologize for causing concern ranging from National Assembly hearings and search warrants to reports from over a decade ago that even internal members were unaware of." It further stated, "Currently, no such inappropriate conduct or misuse of corporate cards is occurring. We will undertake rigorous organizational reforms in light of this incident," bowing its head.

The sense of crisis facing Korean football extends beyond just the referee sexual bribery scandal. While Chair Park Ji-sung has pledged to drive reforms in Korean football, regarding the recent appointment of a temporary head coach for the A National Team following the conclusion of public applications, he stated: "The Innovation Committee cannot directly intervene in the selection of a temporary coach." However, he added, "We will prepare systemic recommendations to ensure that future national team coaching appointments are conducted through a transparent and fair system capable of securing excellent coaches."

Filling the vacancy left by Chung Mong-gyu Jeon (Chairman), who resigned immediately after the North America World Cup, is also an urgent priority. Chair Park Ji-sung announced: "The KFA has agreed to accept our recommendation to significantly expand the electoral college for the next KFA presidency from around 200 members to approximately 20,000 and to introduce electronic voting, leading to amendments in the association's bylaws." He added, "The election is expected to be concluded no later than this year."

Furthermore, the upcoming 7th meeting scheduled for the 19th at Cheonan Korea Football Park will be held as an open listening session involving football professionals and fans, aiming to gather on-the-ground opinions on reforms such as restructuring youth development systems.

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*This content was translated by AI.