Korea Football Park in Ipjang-myeon, Seo-buk-gu, Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, is quiet on Thursday, the day police conducted a search and seizure of Korea Football Association facilities. Police began the operation around 9 a.m. that day, sending all staff outside. [Yonhap]
Korea Football Park in Ipjang-myeon, Seo-buk-gu, Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, is quiet on Thursday, the day police conducted a search and seizure of Korea Football Association facilities. Police began the operation around 9 a.m. that day, sending all staff outside. [Yonhap]

Sungshin Women's University professor Seo Gyeong-deok has criticized the Korea Football Association as an "international embarrassment" after reports emerged that the KFA provided sexual entertainment to more than 10 foreign referees and referee supervisors across seven matches — including World Cup qualifiers, Olympic qualifiers and national team friendlies — held in South Korea between 2011 and 2012.

Seo said Saturday that major foreign media outlets had quickly picked up the story.

He said audit records confirmed a KFA official had used a corporate card to pay amounts ranging from hundreds of thousands of won to over 1 million won while entertaining the foreign referees.

Seo also shared coverage of the KFA scandal from media in Japan, the United Kingdom and other countries, highlighting the prominence the story had received abroad.

"This is an international embarrassment," Seo said. "At a time when hallyu has spread worldwide and South Korea's image is strong, this incident has done serious damage to the country's reputation."

Seo called on the KFA to issue a public apology to football fans around the world and to ensure such conduct never happens again.


choigo@heraldcorp.com