Police have determined that an investigation into allegations of sexual services provided to foreign referees by the Korea Football Association is effectively impossible due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
According to Yonhap News, Park Jeong-bo, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, stated at a regular press briefing on August 24 that the statute of limitations has clearly expired, making further investigation unlikely. He added that they are examining whether there are additional aspects that need to be verified.
The allegations involve the Korea Football Association providing sexual services to over ten foreign referees and officials during seven matches, including three FIFA World Cup and Olympic qualifying matches, held in South Korea from March 2011 to March 2012. Payments were made using the association's corporate credit card, with amounts ranging from hundreds of thousands to over one million won per session at massage parlors located in Seoul's Gangnam, Changwon, and Ulsan.
These misconducts by the Korea Football Association were uncovered during an audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2016 but had not been publicly disclosed until recently. The situation gained significant attention after a related audit report was released by the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Jin Sun-mi on August 7.
Despite the public outcry, 14 to 15 years have passed since the incidents occurred, limiting the police's ability to conduct a thorough investigation. While there may be considerations for charges related to breach of duty or violations of the law on prostitution, current laws typically restrict serious crimes to those with a statute of limitations of over 15 years.
The police are also conducting an investigation into the broader administrative controversies surrounding the Korea Football Association. They are focusing on potential misconduct and procedural violations in the appointment process of former national team coach Hong Myung-bo, which involved the Strengthening Committee and the board of directors.
On August 4, police summoned former coach Hong Myung-bo and former technical director Lee Im-seng as suspects in connection with allegations of obstruction of business and are investigating the involvement of senior officials in the coaching appointment process. On August 6, they executed a search warrant on the mobile phone of former Korea Football Association president Chung Mong-kyu to secure related evidence.
Park stated, "Since the search on August 6, we have been continuously calling in related individuals for questioning."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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