*This content was translated by AI.
K League 1 soccer club Gangwon FC has firmly denied recent allegations raised via a YouTube broadcast concerning the recruitment of foreign players and the overseas transfer of agent fees.
On the 23rd, Gangwon FC issued a statement clarifying that "we are correcting content from Mr. Park Dong-hee's appearance on the YouTube program 'Kim Eo-jun's Humility is Hard News Factory' on the 21st that is either factually inaccurate or potentially misleading regarding allegations about foreign player recruitment and overseas remittance of agent fees."
The club stated, "First, the claim that overseas agent fee payments were made to only one specific player is factually incorrect. Gangwon FC has consistently transferred agent fees to designated overseas corporate accounts when directly negotiating and contracting with overseas agents during the recruitment of foreign players."
According to data released by the club on that day, Gangwon FC has previously remitted agent fees through agents' overseas accounts for this year's 제시 (8% of annual salary), last year's Mario (10% of annual salary), and 2024's Kamiya (5% of first-year annual salary).
The club explained that "when dealing directly with overseas agents, transferring fees to the foreign corporation or designated overseas account of the contracting party is a standard procedure for international transactions. Similarly, when paying player lease fees or transfer fees to other clubs abroad, payments are made to those clubs' overseas accounts. Conversely, when foreign clubs pay lease or transfer fees to Gangwon FC, direct overseas transfers are conducted to the club's Korean bank accounts."
The club further emphasized that "all overseas remittances are processed in accordance with contracts, payment justification documents, internal approvals, and foreign exchange transfer procedures involving institutional investors. Therefore, claims suggesting that tracking accounts or verifying transactions is difficult solely because funds were sent to overseas accounts are factually incorrect."
Additionally, the club noted that "agent fees are determined individually based on contract types, negotiation scope, and services performed by agents. In K League player transfer operations, it is common practice for domestic transfers to involve fees of approximately 5% of annual salary or transfer fees, while foreign player recruitment typically involves around 10%. This is not an exceptional standard applied only to specific agents but can be easily verified through FIFA-certified agents active in the football industry."
Gangwon FC stated, "Gangwon FC is not a private company operated by Kim Byeong-ji (CEO) as an individual. It is a provincial soccer club where all members, including the team and administrative office, work together from their respective positions to operate and develop the organization. To prevent damage to the efforts of our members and the club's credibility due to unverified claims, we will continue to correct factual inaccuracies."
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*This content was translated by AI.
