The Korea Football Association (KFA) issued an apology on Saturday following a media report alleging that foreign referees were provided with inappropriate entertainment, including sexual services, while visiting South Korea for international matches more than a decade ago.
South Korean broadcaster JTBC reported that the alleged incidents occurred on several occasions during 2011 and 2012, when foreign referees were in the country for matches including qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2012 London Olympics.
The broadcaster cited a 2016 investigation by South Korea’s Sports Ministry, which reportedly found that inappropriate entertainment had been arranged for foreign referees on seven occasions between March 2011 and March 2012.
According to the report, some of the entertainment involved visits to massage establishments where payments allegedly included charges for sexual services.
In a statement, the KFA apologised for the controversy surrounding the allegations, noting that the events occurred more than a decade ago and were previously unknown to many people currently working within the organisation.
“We deeply apologise for causing concern over various issues involving the association,” the KFA said, referring to recent parliamentary scrutiny, searches of its premises and reporting about the historical allegations.
The association did not immediately provide further details about the allegations or indicate whether additional internal action would be taken.