"Gimpo City made the initial request" K-League provides unprecedented support for Gimpo FC's recovery... assisting beyond accounting to include player roster and legal matters

*This content was translated by AI.

The Korea Professional Football League (KPFL) is taking unprecedented measures to support the normalization of Gimpo FC, a K League 2 club facing difficulties due to an embezzlement case involving public funds.

On the 28th, the league announced that starting in September, it will dispatch a support team to assist Gimpo FC in normalizing its operations.

This initiative was not decided unilaterally by the league but was carried out at the request of Gimpo City.

In July, it was confirmed that an employee responsible for cash management at Gimpo FC had embezzled public funds. In response, Gimpo City, which holds a stake in and sponsors Gimpo FC as an institutional investor, requested assistance from the league to ensure stable operations of the club, a member of K League, while pursuing its swift normalization.

A league official explained in a phone call with StarNews on that day: "The request for help in operating the Gimpo FC club came first from the Gimpo City Hall."

Accepting this request, the league decided to dispatch experts from various fields to the site.

The support team consists of three members: An Chi-jun, head of the League Operations Division at the league, serving as team leader; Yeom Seong-jun, head of the Legal Affairs Team (lawyer); and Ahn Jung-hyuk, a professional from the Club Licensing Team (accountant). They will reside at the Gimpo FC secretariat and assist in normalizing club operations based on their respective areas of expertise.

Notably, this measure is not limited solely to accounting matters directly linked to the embezzlement case.

Key tasks include: ▲reviewing and supporting player contract matters according to regulations; ▲improving accounting operational procedures; ▲examining compliance with K League Club Licensing Regulations following the embezzlement incident and formulating responses, covering all aspects of operations related to the player roster and club licensing.

A league official stated: "An Chi-jun (Head), as head of the League Operations Division, has a high understanding of matters concerning the player roster, so he will support this area. Accountant Ahn Jung-hyuk and lawyer Yeom Seong-jun will also assist with necessary tasks as experts in accounting and legal fields, respectively."

Ultimately, the core of this dispatch is to facilitate the swift normalization of Gimpo FC.

A league official emphasized: "Rather than pursuing other objectives, the concept is to help the club operate normally," noting that the initiative has a strong character of operational support.

It is an unprecedented measure to station experts from various fields, including Yeon Maeng-i (Head), an accountant, and a lawyer, at the secretariat to assist with operations aimed at normalizing the management of a K League club. Gimpo City made the initial request for assistance, and the league responded accordingly, extending support not only to accounting but also broadly to player roster management and legal matters.

Through this dispatch, the league plans to help Gimpo FC quickly resolve the situation and stabilize secretariat operations while also working together to restore the trust of Gimpo FC fans and Gimpo citizens shaken by the embezzlement case.

Previously, a special audit revealed that employee A, responsible for financial accounts at the Gimpo club, had allegedly embezzled over 5.8 billion won in public funds this year alone, sparking controversy. It was determined that the same employee embezzled 180 million won in 2023 and between 2.3 billion to 2.4 billion won in 2025, bringing the cumulative total of embezzlement to over 8 billion won.

Employee A is understood to have used the misappropriated funds to acquire real estate in Japan and purchase three foreign-made vehicles. It was reported that no embezzlement was detected in 2024 because employee A was not handling relevant duties at that time.

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*This content was translated by AI.