Despite Documents on Football Association’s ‘Corporate Card Sexual Hospitality’, Japan and China Say "No Evidence"... Why the Discrepancy in Investigation Results?

Six Interviewed, One Responded in Writing, Investigation Virtually Closed

Japanese Media Question: "Are Interviews with the Parties Involved Sufficient?"

Chinese Football Association Also Claims "No Evidence of Involvement"

KFA’s Past Hospitality Allegations Spread Across South Korea, China, and Japan

The Korea Football Association's (KFA) past allegations of providing sexual hospitality to foreign referees have spread beyond South Korea, now impacting both Japanese and Chinese football circles. The Japan Football Association (JFA), after conducting its own investigation into seven Japanese referees who officiated matches in South Korea at the time, concluded that it "could not confirm any inappropriate hospitality." However, doubts have been raised in Japan about whether the investigation was sufficiently thorough. The controversy entered a new phase when the Chinese Football Association also announced that it found no evidence implicating its officials, further fueling the debate.

In the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism audit report publicly released by JTBC on the 6th, it was revealed that the Korea Football Association provided inappropriate hospitality seven times to foreign referees who participated in international matches held domestically for about one year from March 2011 to March 2012. The Asia Business Daily

Previously, an audit report from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, released by JTBC on August 6, detailed that over approximately one year from March 2011 to March 2012, the KFA provided inappropriate hospitality to foreign referees participating in domestic international matches on seven occasions. These matches included World Cup and Olympic qualifiers. During the audit, it was found that the costs for massage parlors used by foreign referees were paid with KFA corporate cards, and statements were obtained from association officials indicating that some of the expenses covered prostitution. After the revelations, the KFA issued an apology for causing concern over incidents that occurred more than a decade ago and stressed that such inappropriate behavior and use of corporate cards do not occur anymore.

"Just Asking Those Involved and Calling It Done?"... Doubts in Japan Over JFA's 'Sexual Hospitality Investigation'

As the controversy grew, according to Japanese media, the JFA held a board meeting in Tokyo on August 20 and reported the results of its internal investigation into the KFA's alleged hospitality for foreign referees. The subjects of the investigation were the seven Japanese referees who participated in international matches held in South Korea between March 2011 and March 2012, the period in question. With the assistance of an external law firm, six of these referees were directly interviewed, while one confirmed the facts in writing.

The Japan Football Association (JFA) stated that the investigation found no evidence that there were requests to influence refereeing decisions or match results, nor that any inappropriate hospitality beyond a customary level was provided. JFA official website

The JFA stated that its investigation found no evidence of requests intended to influence refereeing decisions or match results at the time, nor evidence that inappropriate hospitality exceeding customary practices was provided. Kazuyuki Yukawa, JFA's Executive Director, echoed that the investigation could not confirm any match-fixing or inappropriate hospitality. The JFA also indicated that it had received no separate request for investigative cooperation or related information from the Korean side. The JFA plans to consider the investigation closed unless new allegations or concrete circumstances arise.

However, there were criticisms in Japan that the investigation alone was insufficient to fully dispel suspicions. Japanese outlet Sponichi Annex pointed out that the JFA was highly dependent on interviews with the referees themselves, who were the subject of the allegations, and criticized that relying solely on such interviews gives the impression of an incomplete inquiry.

The controversy is particularly notable because it did not originate from anonymous tips, but from documents produced during a 2016 audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and KFA corporate card transaction records. This has sparked calls for objective evidence to be reviewed in addition to the statements of those involved.

Chinese Football Association Says "No Evidence to Prove Inappropriate Hospitality"

The controversy has also spread to China. When South Korean media reported that Chinese Football Association officials who visited South Korea were also suspected of having received inappropriate hospitality, the Chinese Football Association announced on August 19 that it had launched an internal investigation. On the 23rd, it announced that it could not find evidence proving that the KFA had provided inappropriate hospitality to Chinese Football Association officials. However, it did not disclose who was investigated or the methods used. The association stated that it would reopen the investigation if new facts or leads emerged.

On the 23rd, the Chinese Football Association announced the investigation results, stating that it found no evidence proving that the Korea Football Association provided inappropriate hospitality to officials of the Chinese Football Association. Weibo

Ultimately, both the Japanese and Chinese football associations have concluded, to date, that there is no evidence implicating their respective officials. However, these internal investigations do not negate the audit findings from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism regarding KFA's past corporate card usage and hospitality issues. Notably, in Japan, the fact-finding was based on statements from the referees themselves, while in China, not even the details of the investigation process were disclosed, raising doubts about whether the announcement that "no evidence was found" is sufficient to resolve the controversy.

The police investigation has also run up against the barrier of time. On August 19, the police announced that the statute of limitations on the charge of arranging prostitution appeared to have expired, but added that they would review whether there were further matters to investigate. With the issue of KFA's provision of hospitality to foreign referees from 15 years ago belatedly coming to light, and subsequent investigations by the Japanese and Chinese football associations, the debate over past practices related to the running of international matches and referee hospitality is likely to persist for the foreseeable future.

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