Federación Surcoreana de Fútbol apologises amid revived referee scandal

The Federación Surcoreana de Fútbol (KFA) issued a public apology on Saturday after a journalistic investigation brought to light an old official report alleging payments for sexual services to foreign referees. The story was posted by AGENCIAS and marked as Actualizado 08/08/2026 - 12:20CEST.

The alleged payments took place on several occasions between March 2011 and March 2012, coinciding with international fixtures and qualification matches for the 2014 World Cup and the London 2012 Olympic Games. JTBC’s investigation detailed that the incidents involved foreign officials during those competitions.

A 2016 audit by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism identified seven instances in which the federation allegedly offered inappropriate entertainment, including massage establishments whose fees incorporated sexual services. The audit report forms the basis of the newly released data.

In a formal statement, the federation distanced itself from those past practices, asserting that such behaviour and the use of corporate cards to fund it no longer occur. It also noted that many current employees were unaware of the episodes at the time they happened.

The apology arrives as the KFA faces another probe concerning the process that led to Hong Myung‑bo’s return as national team coach in 2024. Seoul police raided the federation’s offices last Thursday as part of that investigation.

Hong’s appointment drew criticism because the federation abandoned a months‑long search that involved foreign candidates and chose the Korean coach after a relatively brief meeting. The decision sparked debate over transparency and governance within the organisation.

Public discussion intensified after South Korea’s elimination in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, reviving scrutiny of the federation’s recent actions. Hong had previously managed the national side from 2013 to 2014 before returning in 2024.

The KFA has not publicly confirmed all details of the 2016 investigation and has not responded to further information requests from Reuters. While the accusations refer to events roughly fifteen years ago, they do not imply that match results were manipulated.

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