South Korea’s football federation suspected of paying for sexual services for foreign referees before World Cup qualifying matches

South Korean football has found itself at the centre of one of the biggest corruption scandals in recent years. The Korea Football Association (KFA) is accused of arranging visits to massage parlours for foreign referees in 2011–2012, where sexual services were allegedly provided ahead of important international matches involving the national team, including 2014 World Cup qualifiers and the 2012 Olympic Games.

The story only came to light now following reports by South Korean broadcaster JTBC and the Yonhap news agency, which examined documents from an internal investigation by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism conducted back in 2016. According to the documents, federation officials used corporate bank cards to pay for so-called «massage services», but auditors concluded that the establishments provided sexual services to foreign guests.

According to the investigation, this kind of «hospitality» was arranged before at least seven international matches. Around 20 foreign referees and FIFA and AFC inspectors from Japan, the UAE, Iran, Bahrain and Uzbekistan received the services. In some cases, the payments exceeded one million South Korean won, while the expenses were officially recorded as ordinary hospitality costs.

Particular attention has been drawn to the sporting statistics from that period. In all seven matches before which the referees were allegedly entertained in this manner, South Korea did not lose — the team won five matches and drew twice. These included key World Cup qualifying games, including a 2:0 victory over Kuwait, as well as an Olympic qualifier against Oman. However, no evidence has so far been presented that the referees made biased decisions or deliberately influenced the results of the matches.

Former KFA employees offered equally high-profile explanations. According to South Korean media, some of them said that such a practice was allegedly considered a «normal part of hosting foreign guests» more than a decade ago. Moreover, one former official claims that some foreign referees themselves expected such entertainment during visits to South Korea. These statements provoked a particularly fierce reaction from the public and the sporting community.

The Football Association itself said that the events in question took place nearly 15 years ago. KFA representatives noted that the organisation now follows strict FIFA requirements and its own anti-corruption rules, but acknowledged that fully establishing what happened after so many years would be extremely difficult.

The scandal has erupted at an extremely difficult moment for South Korean football. Following the national team’s disastrous performance at the 2026 World Cup, the federation’s leadership has come under close scrutiny from the authorities. Police are already conducting a separate investigation into the appointment of former head coach Hong Myung-bo, while KFA headquarters were recently searched. Against the backdrop of these investigations, journalists gained access to archival materials that revealed the story of payments for sexual services for referees.

Lawyers note that even if the allegations are fully confirmed, the likelihood of serious sanctions from FIFA remains low. The alleged violations took place more than a decade ago and are likely already subject to the statute of limitations under the international federation’s disciplinary regulations. However, the reputational damage to South Korean football could prove significantly more serious than the possible legal consequences.

The investigation is ongoing. South Korean media do not rule out the possibility that new documents concerning other international matches and the practice of hosting foreign officials during those years may be published in the near future.