South Korean Football Federation Under Fire Amid Sexual Scandal and World Cup Failure

The South Korean Football Association (KFA) has issued an apology following a series of scandals, including allegations of an unfair selection process for the national team coach and accusations of providing sexual entertainment to foreign referees. The KFA has been under intense scrutiny since South Korea's disappointing group-stage exit from the 2026 World Cup, an outcome widely viewed as a failure for the nation's so-called 'golden generation' led by Son Heung-min.

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We sincerely apologize for the deep disappointment and concern caused by the numerous controversies surrounding the federation following the 2026 World Cup.

Coach Hong Myung-bo resigned immediately after the World Cup elimination, but his departure did little to quell public anger. The controversy surrounding his hiring, and the subsequent revelations, have intensified the pressure on the KFA. Local media outlets recently reported that the KFA had provided sexual entertainment to foreign referees in 2011 and 2012, citing a 2016 government audit that had not been publicly released.

"We sincerely apologize for the deep disappointment and concern caused by the numerous controversies surrounding the federation following the 2026 World Cup," the KFA stated on its website Saturday. The federation admitted to being in a "truly regrettable situation" and acknowledged that it had "lost sight of its fundamental role." These apologies come after police searched the KFA headquarters as part of an investigation into the appointment of former coach Hong Myung-bo.

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The federation finds itself in a truly regrettable situation and acknowledges that it has lost sight of its fundamental role.

Concerns about potential manipulation in Hong's appointment had surfaced earlier in 2024, but public scrutiny intensified after the team failed to advance beyond the group stage. South Korean lawmakers summoned Hong and current and former KFA officials for a parliamentary hearing on July 30 to question the hiring process and Hong's annual salary. However, the sexual entertainment scandal has now overshadowed these concerns. South Korean broadcaster JTBC cited the 2016 government audit, which reportedly found that the KFA had provided "inappropriate hospitality" on eight occasions to foreign referees and staff from the Chinese Football Association. The KFA stated that many within the federation "were not aware" of the incidents but did not deny their occurrence, adding that such "inappropriate conduct... is no longer taking place."

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The federation wishes to make it clear that inappropriate conduct such as that... is no longer taking place.