South Korean football has been plunged deeper into turmoil after the country's football association admitted wrongdoing linked to a historic scandal involving payments for sexual favours provided to visiting foreign referees.
The controversy stems from a 2016 report compiled by South Korea's ministry of culture, sport and tourism, which only became public last week after broadcaster JTBC obtained and published its findings. The investigation revealed that the Korea Football Association (KFA) used official credit cards to pay 5.6 million won, roughly £2,927, for what were described as "sexual entertainment" services at massage parlours for foreign officials who travelled to South Korea to referee matches in the early 2010s.
Among the matches affected were qualifying fixtures for the 2014 World Cup and the 2012 London Olympics, both tournaments South Korea went on to qualify for. The report found that KFA employees disguised the true nature of the expenses in official records, listing them instead as costs for food, drink or standard massage services. JTBC cited a KFA official who suggested such practices were considered normal at the time.
Facing mounting public backlash, the KFA issued a statement of apology on social media, acknowledging what it called