Park Ji-sung, Chairman: Concerns Over 'Aftermath' "Controversy Over Sexual Hospitality to Referees Makes Predicting Outcomes Difficult"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Park Ji-sung, Chair of the K-Football Innovation Committee, expressed concern over the "severe aftermath" following the past scandal involving sexual hospitality to referees by the Korea Football Association (KFA), an issue that has become a "shameful topic" attracting global attention beyond just Korean football.

After concluding the 6th Meeting of the K-Football Innovation Committee held on the 11th at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Park Ji-sung responded to reporters' related questions by stating, "This is not an issue that the Innovation Committee can address, so there is nothing I can say from the committee's perspective."

Park Ji-sung drew a clear line, clarifying that this was not an official response from the Innovation Committee regarding the matter. Instead, he continued with a concerned answer as a "football person."

He stated, "It is a definite fact that (Korean football) has encountered a negative situation," and added, "As for what kind of consequences we may face because of this, even I find it difficult to predict." This reflected his concern over how the aftermath of the KFA's past scandal involving sexual hospitality to referees might impact Korean football in the future.

Previously, it was revealed that between March 2011 and within one year, the KFA provided sexual hospitality to approximately ten foreign referees who visited Korea for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the 2012 London Olympics qualifiers, and evaluation matches for the national team and Olympic team. Coincidentally, in the seven matches identified as involving such hospitality, South Korea achieved five wins and two draws.

This fact was uncovered during an audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2016; however, the Ministry did not disclose the sexual hospitality to referees at that time, and it only became known through media reports a decade later. Furthermore, recent media reports revealed suspicions that the Board of Audit and Inspection, while conducting an audit of the KFA in 2012 and investigating corporate card records, became aware of the hospitality provided to referees but chose not to investigate properly, allegedly covering it up under the pretext of protecting national prestige.

In response, the KFA recently issued a belated apology statement, saying, "We deeply apologize for causing concern due to media reports and various matters related to the association regarding an incident from over ten years ago that even internal members were not fully aware of." The association further clarified, "The KFA firmly states that such inappropriate conduct or card usage is absolutely not occurring at present."

However, the confirmed past facts of sexual hospitality to referees have already spread globally through major international media outlets. This has led to a severe backlash affecting all aspects of Korean football, including claims of stripping South Korea's bronze medal from the 2012 London Olympics and even doubts cast on the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup semi-final myth. While the Football Association insists that "this is not happening now," it remains uncertain how much credibility it can regain in front of such a significantly damaged reputation.

For this reason, Park Ji-sung believes that efforts for change are more urgent than ever. Although predicting the extent of the aftermath is difficult, he emphasized that there must be serious consideration on how to restore trust within any outcome. He stressed, "What is clear is that given this situation, we need to think about how to regain trust and move forward in the future."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original