Japan FA: No Confirmation of Referees Receiving Sexual Favors in South Korea

The Japan Football Association (JFA) has provisionally concluded that there is no confirmation of Japanese referees receiving sexual favors in South Korea, according to Japanese media reports on August 21. The JFA's board reportedly stated that "the fact that inappropriate entertainment was received has not been confirmed."

This statement comes after allegations surfaced regarding Japanese referees involved in a 2012 match between South Korea and Kuwait. A report by the Hankyoreh newspaper, citing a KFA investigation report, detailed that two of the four referees for the match visited a massage parlor in Seoul, with the KFA allegedly covering a 500,000 won expense using a corporate card. Kyodo News had previously mentioned two Japanese referees as subjects of investigation.

The JFA had commissioned an external law firm to investigate seven referees who officiated the controversial 2012 match. Following the investigation, Yukawa Kazuyuki, an expert at the JFA, stated, "We confirmed that there were no such facts regarding match-fixing or excessive entertainment."

The JFA plans no further investigations unless new media reports or facts emerge. They also noted that they had not received any requests for cooperation or reports from South Korean authorities regarding this matter since the incident.