The Korea Football Association (KFA) is facing allegations of paying for visits to massage parlors offering sexual services for foreign referees before at least seven international matches.
According to the South Korean television broadcaster JTBC and the news agency Yonhap, the bribery allegations concern the period between 2011 and 2012.
JTBC's research is based on documents from a state audit and credit card statements.
Specific allegations and findings
The KFA allegedly paid for two Japanese assistant referees to visit a massage parlor before a World Cup qualifying match against Kuwait in February 2012. South Korea won that match 2-0 and advanced to the next qualifying round.
The visits to the massage parlors, which South Korean media say offer sexual services, cost the equivalent of several hundred euros.
Favors of this kind were common and were sometimes even expected by the referees.
While the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism identified these incidents in 2016 following an audit of the KFA, the findings were not made public at that time.
Whether the referees were influenced to make one-sided decisions in matches involving the South Korean national team has not been proven.
Prostitution is prohibited in South Korea, although massage parlors offering sexual services are widespread.
Institutional impact and investigations
A raid took place at the KFA premises on Thursday.
The KFA is also accused of bypassing usual rules in the appointment of former national coach Hong Myung-bo by providing him the job without a proper application process.
The statutes of international football associations prohibit any form of financial benefits to referees.
