Concealed 'referee sex services' with meals, massages... Football Association corporate card details revealed

A 2016 investigation by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism uncovered significant misuse of funds by the Korea Football Association (KFA), involving improper entertainment of foreign referees. The ministry's findings, revealed by the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Jin Sun-mi, detailed how KFA executives spent approximately 200 million won (about $150,000 USD) indiscriminately between March 2011 and March 2012.

The investigation specifically highlighted instances where KFA corporate cards were used to pay for services at adult entertainment establishments, including massage parlors, for referees officiating crucial international matches. For example, two referees for a 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifier between South Korea and Kuwait in February 2012 were taken to a massage parlor in Seoul, with the KFA paying 500,000 won (about $375 USD) for the service.

Similarly, referees for a 2012 London Olympics qualifier between South Korea and Oman in September 2011 received "inappropriate treatment" at a massage parlor in Changwon, costing the KFA 760,000 won (about $570 USD). Another official for a 2012 London Olympics qualifier between South Korea and Qatar in March 2012 was treated at a Chinese massage shop in Seoul for 198,000 won (about $150 USD).

KFA employees reportedly attempted to conceal these activities by disguising the payments as expenses for meals, post-match drinks, or simple massages on official documents. In some cases, they even wrote "referee massage" directly on the payment requests. The ministry noted the "organized" nature of these entertainments, as payment approvals went through multiple levels of KFA management, from staff to vice presidents. While police investigations acknowledged some improper corporate card usage, they found no grounds for charges like bribery, and consequently, no disciplinary actions were taken at the time.

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The ministry's investigation uncovered the organized nature of the entertainment, leading to a police inquiry.