South Korea takes on Uruguay in an exhibition match at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on March 28. Before the start of the first half, the Red Devil supporters unfurl a banner that reads “Hot winter, we were all happy” in reference to the team’s progression to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Korean Football Association (KFA) reportedly issued the controversial pardon decision just before kickoff, drawing further criticism. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 30 (Korea Bizwire) — The recent pardon granted by the Korean Football Association to 100 former and current soccer players, coaches, and referees who had been suspended or disciplined for various irregularities, including match-fixing, has caused a public uproar.
This pardon includes 48 of the 50 players who were suspended in 2011 for participating in professional soccer match-fixing.
South Korean soccer suffered a significant setback in 2011 when a match-fixing scandal emerged.
An investigation by prosecutors uncovered that gangsters and club owners had manipulated numerous matches, with the assistance of former and current players acting as brokers to earn significant payouts.
The prosecution then indicted 53 players from nine clubs, which constituted 8.5 percent of the 621 registered players in the Korean Professional League, excluding foreign players.
The KFA justified the pardon as a celebration of the national team’s achievement in qualifying for the World Cup for the 10th consecutive time and reaching the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
However, the decision to pardon individuals who were involved in one of the most shameful incidents in Korean soccer history has sparked controversy.
The KFA board meeting at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on March 28. The KFA has suspended 100 footballers, including 48 players who were disciplined in the 2011 match-fixing scandal. (Image courtesy of the Korea Football Association)
The announcement has faced backlash from various segments of the political spectrum and the sports community.
The Red Devils, the national soccer team’s supporters, took to Instagram on Wednesday to voice their strong opposition to the pardon granted by the KFA.
In their statement, they declared that the act destroyed the collective efforts of everyone involved in building the sport over 12 years, and questioned why the festival of the World Cup Round of 16 was used as an excuse to pardon criminals.
The Red Devils demanded that the pardon be fully withdrawn, warning that they would boycott future matches, including league matches, and hold protest rallies in collaboration with K League club supporters if the pardon is enforced.
The Korea Sports Council, which oversees the KFA, reportedly declined to recognize the pardon decision. According to an official from the KFA, the amnesty was not feasible due to the lack of regulation to delete disciplinary records.
The Korean Professional Football Association, which was also involved in the match-fixing scandal, also disagreed with the KFA’s decision, stating that it was a legal issue.
Lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung, a soccer enthusiast, expressed his opposition to the pardon, calling it a “bad precedent” and suggesting a follow-up investigation at the political level.
In a Facebook post, Ha reiterated his outrage and expressed sympathy for the footballers who played honestly and were affected by the pardon.
M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
