The disgrace of the century! South Korea’s football federation bought referees sexual services

The Korea Football Association has issued an official apology for a “series of scandals,” including shocking accusations of paying for sexual services for foreign referees.

Details: According to the BBC, at the heart of the scandal are claims that, between 2011 and 2012, the KFA used corporate credit cards to pay for sexual services for visiting referees at least seven times ahead of national team matches—including World Cup and Olympic qualifiers. These revelations surfaced during a 2016 government audit, and the story was brought to light by broadcaster MBC. The scandal has already taken on an international dimension: one of the figures involved is a Japanese referee who now holds a senior position on the refereeing committee of the Japan Football Association, which has launched its own investigation.

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This sex scandal is just the tip of the iceberg. After crashing out of the 2026 World Cup in the group stage, a wave of public outrage swept the country: coach Hong Myung-bo resigned, the president demanded an investigation, parliament held hearings, and last week police conducted an unprecedented raid on the federation's headquarters.

In a statement, the KFA said: “We deeply apologize for the disappointment and anxiety caused by the series of scandals, from parliamentary hearings and the unprecedented police raid to reports of incidents from over a decade ago, which were unknown even to many of our staff.” The federation has promised sweeping reforms to ensure transparency and restore its reputation, while police are considering possible criminal charges.

Reminder: South Korean president demands investigation after national team's World Cup 2026 failure