"National dignity is compromised": Board of Audit and Inspection, which knew about the sexual entertainment of referees in advance, remains silent; Japan shocked by 'international disgrace'

*This content was translated by AI.

This is truly an "international disgrace."

As it was revealed late that the Board of Audit and Inspection had known about the sexual entertainment of foreign referees by the Korea Football Association (KFA) in the past yet allowed it to go unnoticed, Japan is expressing great shock. Reports indicate that comments made by a senior official at the Board of Audit and Inspection at the time, such as "If this becomes known, the nation's dignity will be compromised," as well as remarks from KFA officials suggesting they attempted to exert influence by directly contacting high-ranking officials at the Board of Audit and Inspection to prevent escalation, were fully transmitted to Japan.

On the 12th, Japanese media outlet Football Channel reported, citing a JTBC broadcast, that "new facts have emerged regarding the allegations of sexual entertainment of referees by the KFA," stating that "the Board of Audit and Inspection was aware of the KFA's referee entertainment at the time but did not include it in the final audit results."

The media explained that while the KFA's referee sexual entertainment was uncovered during a 2016 investigation by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Board of Audit and Inspection had actually identified the fact that referees were entertained at massage establishments during an audit of the KFA in late 2012, four years earlier. The media added that related content was omitted from the audit results based solely on explanations from KFA officials claiming no sexual services were provided.

It further stated that a senior official at the Board of Audit and Inspection at the time explained the reason for excluding it from the audit target with remarks such as "The nation's dignity would be compromised" and "It would be embarrassing if this became known to the world." The media added, "Although the Board of Audit and Inspection denied this, witnesses also testified that a KFA official at the time contacted high-ranking officials at the Board of Audit and Inspection in an attempt to exert influence to prevent the issue from escalating."

In fact, according to a previous JTBC report, the Board of Audit and Inspection mentioned only one KFA employee who was found misusing training funds at a massage establishment in its audit results report, excluding all details regarding the referee sexual entertainment. A senior official from the Board of Audit and Inspection stated in an interview that they understood the entertainment took place at room salons but claimed it did not constitute "sexual entertainment." However, they later acknowledged that the matter was excluded from the audit target because revealing such facts would compromise national dignity and cause embarrassment.

Football Channel noted that regarding this issue, which has surfaced after approximately 15 years, "the Board of Audit and Inspection identified the referee entertainment four years earlier than the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism." The outlet pointed out that "as the police are also considering the possibility of launching an investigation into the incident, critical attention is being directed toward the national institutional response regarding why the issue was not disclosed at the time."

Park Ji-sung, chairman of the K-Football Innovation Committee, stated, "It is a clear fact that we have encountered a difficult situation. It is not easy to predict what results will follow." He emphasized, "Given this shocking situation, it is now time for the entire football community to deeply consider how to restore trust and move forward toward the future."

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*This content was translated by AI.