Korea Football Association's Korea Football Park in Ipjang-myeon, Seo-buk-gu, Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province [Yonhap]
Korea Football Association's Korea Football Park in Ipjang-myeon, Seo-buk-gu, Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province [Yonhap]

The Korea Football Association issued a formal apology Saturday as it faces mounting controversy following the national team's poor showing at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup and allegations that referees were entertained with sexual favors.

The association described the situation as "devastating" while insisting that such misconduct is no longer taking place.

In a statement addressed to "football fans and those involved in football," the KFA said it was "deeply sorry for causing great disappointment and concern with the various controversies surrounding the association since the 2026 North and Central America World Cup."

"The association, which should be bringing joy and excitement to football fans through fierce dedication toward goals and fair-minded sportsmanship, has recently lost sight of its core purpose and finds itself in a truly devastating situation," the statement read.

The KFA also apologized for "causing distress through various association-related matters — from National Assembly hearings to an unprecedented search and seizure, to reports of incidents from more than a decade ago that even many of our own members were unaware of."

KFA vehicles parked outside the association's office in Cheonan [Yonhap]
KFA vehicles parked outside the association's office in Cheonan [Yonhap]

On the allegations of referees being entertained with sexual favors, the KFA said "such inappropriate conduct and card usage are absolutely not occurring at present."

The association also said it "earnestly hopes that the valuable achievements and efforts of our national team players will not be misunderstood or diminished by these matters."

The KFA pledged reform, saying all members would "take the sweeping external criticism and condemnation deeply to heart and treat it as an opportunity for thorough renewal." It added that it would "continue making strenuous efforts alongside deep self-reflection for a better future for Korean football."

The association also vowed to improve the transparency and ethics of its organizational culture to meet higher external standards. It said it would work to fulfill policy tasks as quickly as possible — including preparations for the upcoming Asian Games, second-half A-matches and the Asian Cup, as well as expansion of the presidential electorate.

"We will not stop working to become an organization that earns cheers rather than anger, and support and praise rather than jeers and criticism, by returning to the fundamental values of football," the KFA added.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Metropolitan Investigation Unit's financial crimes unit raided the KFA's office in Cheonan and its football hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul on Thursday — the first time law enforcement has conducted a compulsory investigation of the football association. Police said they plan to examine the seized materials to determine whether there was improper interference in the process of appointing national team coaches.


sjpark@heraldcorp.com