"Are They Trying to Ruin Korean Football?" Park Moonseong Shocked by Korea Football Association 'Referee Sexual Entertainment' Report

Identified in 2016 Ministry Audit
Shock in Football Circles as Audit Details Are Revealed
Association Says "Difficult to Confirm Details Due to Expired Document Retention Period"

Park Moonsung, football commentator, expressed strong anger over media reports regarding the Korea Football Association's alleged provision of sexual entertainment to foreign referees. He pointed out that this goes far beyond simply the misuse of corporate cards, calling it a serious issue that could undermine the fairness of international match officiating and the credibility of Korean football.

On August 6, during the “Dalsune Live” YouTube broadcast, Park addressed the Korea Football Association’s past provision of sexual entertainment to foreign referees, as reported by JTBC. According to JTBC, the Korea Football Association was found to have offered inappropriate entertainment to foreign referees and inspectors related to national team matches held in Korea between March 2011 and March 2012, on multiple occasions.

The Korea Football Association will hold the 2024 1st Strengthening Committee meeting on the 15th at the Football Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul to evaluate the performance of the Klinsmann team at the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup. The photo shows the lobby of the Football Association. Photo by Yongjun Jo jun21@

The matches in question included four friendly matches and three matches from World Cup and Olympic qualifiers, totaling seven matches. These included, among others, a London Olympic qualifier against Oman in September 2011, a Brazil World Cup qualifier against Kuwait in February 2012, and another London Olympic qualifier against Qatar in March of the same year. The related entertainment expenses were reportedly paid using the association’s corporate card. The details were identified during an audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2016, but were not publicly released at the time.

On the broadcast, Park criticized that “even the basic concept has been lost,” adding, “How much more of an international disgrace could this be?” He stressed that if the foreign referee team was given such hospitality before the match, it would inevitably raise suspicions that there was an attempt to influence match outcomes. Park went on to say, “If they approached referees with the intent of asking them to ‘look favorably on tomorrow’s match,’ that in itself is a serious problem.” He further criticized, “They used illegal establishments in the process, and even charged the expenses to a corporate card. Taken together, all three aspects show just how shallow and outdated the thinking of Football Association officials was at the time.”

On the 6th, outside the office of the Korea Football Association in Ipjang-myeon, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, where the police conducted a search and seizure, a vehicle of the national football team was parked. Photo by Yonhap News.

When a then-official of the Korea Football Association reportedly explained the entertainment as “a customary practice,” Park expressed disbelief, asking, “How could anyone call this a custom?” He asserted that if these facts are confirmed, it will not only reflect poorly on the association’s management within Korea, but can also escalate into an international scandal. He warned, “What if suspicions arise that referees were bribed by illegal means during World Cup or Olympic qualifiers?”

Fellow commentator Park Chanwoo, who appeared together on the broadcast, also emphasized that this issue should not be dismissed as simply a matter of visiting entertainment establishments or corporate card misuse. He pointed out, “These regional qualifiers involved referees dispatched by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC),” adding that, “If there is suspicion of lobbying these dispatched referees, the nature of the issue completely changes. The Football Association must provide an official and clear explanation.”

Regarding the controversy, the Football Association stated that the retention period for the related documents has expired, making it difficult to specifically ascertain the situation at that time. Additionally, they explained that they currently have internal control systems and guidelines in place regarding the use of corporate cards and are complying with them. Yonhap News

As the broadcast revealed detailed information on which matches were involved and the precise payment records, the commentators could not hide their shock. Park responded passionately, asking, “Has such detailed information really come out?” and “Are they trying to completely ruin football?” Finally, he criticized the Korea Football Association’s repeated attempts to evade responsibility whenever issues are raised, using the excuse of past customs.

Meanwhile, regarding the controversy, the Korea Football Association stated that, due to the expiration of the retention period for the related documents, it is now difficult to determine the specifics of the situation at the time. They further explained that internal control systems and guidelines regarding the use of corporate cards are currently in place and are being strictly followed. This entertainment reportedly occurred during the tenure of former president Cho Jungyeon. However, whether the intention behind the entertainment actually influenced any refereeing decisions has not been confirmed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.