According to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, the Korea Football Association (KFA) provided international soccer referees with sexual services funded by corporate credit cards during national team matches between 2011 and 2012. The revelations surfaced after South Korean police raided the governing body’s offices on August 7, 2026, amid a widening government probe into leadership corruption and hiring irregularities.
Government Audit Uncovers Referee Misconduct from 2011 to 2012
The allegations stem from a 2016 government audit conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, according to Yonhap. Investigators found that KFA officials took foreign match officials to massagesales and paid for sexual services using association corporate cards. The matches involved Olympic qualifiers for the 2012 Games and preliminary fixtures for the 2014 World Cup.
Yonhap reported that roughly a dozen referees from Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Bahrain, and Uzbekistan received these services. When the ministry completed its audit a decade ago, officials chose not to publicize the referee misconduct because verifying the operational details proved difficult at the time, the ministry stated on August 7, 2026.
Did you know?
The initial reporting on these newly unearthed files came from the South Korean television network JTBC on August 6, 2026. Former KFA employees told the channel that visiting match officials requested the services and that accommodating such demands was considered “practice at the time.” Check our football news archives for ongoing coverage.
Police Raids Target KFA Leadership and Hiring Scandals
The latest scandal broke just hours after South Korean police executed a search warrant at KFA headquarters on August 7, 2026. Law enforcement raided the facilities as part of an active criminal investigation into the appointment of Hong Myung-Bo as the national team head coach in 2024, according to reporting by Yonhap and other outlets.
Public scrutiny over the coaching appointment intensified dramatically after the men’s national team exited the World Cup. Following the tournament elimination, South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung publicly stated his suspicion that Hong Myung-Bo secured the high-profile managerial post through improper channels, vowing swift institutional reforms to prevent future corruption.
Comparison of KFA Disclosures: 2016 Audit Versus 2026 Raids
| Audit/Investigation Year | Primary Focus | Key Disclosures According to Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism audit | Embezzlement by former president Cho Chung-yun and corporate card misuse, including unverified referee payments. |
| 2026 | Police raids and JTBC broadcast reports | Confirmed use of corporate funds for sexual services targeting foreign referees between 2011 and 2012, alongside the ongoing coach hiring probe. |
Frequently Asked Questions About the KFA Investigation
What triggered the current police raids on the KFA?
Police searched KFA offices on August 7, 2026, to investigate how former national team manager Hong Myung-Bo was appointed in 2024 following presidential criticism over the team’s World Cup exit, according to Yonhap.
Which countries’ referees were involved in the 2011–2012 misconduct?
According to the 2016 government audit cited by Yonhap, referees from Japan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Uzbekistan received sexual services funded by the KFA.
Why did the ministry stay quiet about the referee scandal in 2016?
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated on August 7, 2026, that it withheld details of the referee incidents during the 2016 audit because investigators struggled to fully verify the claims at that time.
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