South Korea FA scandal: corporate cards used to pay for sex services for foreign referees

Published Aug 12, 10:51 AM UTC

South Korea's football association (KFA) is embroiled in a bribery scandal after a government audit revealed that between March 2011 and March 2012, the KFA used corporate credit cards to pay for sexual services for foreign referees at massage parlors and adult establishments. The payments occurred before and after international matches, including qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Police raided the KFA following the leak of a 2016 audit report. The scandal compounds the KFA's woes after the national team's disappointing group-stage exit at the 2026 World Cup, which prompted a presidential intervention. Additionally, allegations of nepotism surround the appointment of now-resigned national coach Hong Myung Bo. The case has sparked public outrage in South Korea, where prostitution is illegal and a contentious 'gender war' is ongoing.

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