The mismanagement of refereeing within the Korea Football Association came under scrutiny during a national assembly audit. Former referee chair Moon Jin-hee has been accused of demanding money from referees and evaluators during her tenure, but she has reportedly gone into hiding and avoided appearing as a witness.
On October 21, during the audit by the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, lawmaker Jo Gye-won disclosed a recording that allegedly features Moon asking for money from a referee evaluator. According to the recording, Moon stated, "I've been around for a long time, and I'm running low on cash, so I called to ask for some support," and added, "Send me some pocket money. I'll give you my account number."
Jo criticized the allegations, stating, "This issue is not merely a personal financial transaction. If the allocation of referees and promotion evaluations are linked to monetary exchanges, it undermines the entire trust in the refereeing system." He emphasized the need to restore public confidence in football by ensuring the fairness of referee decisions.
Moon did not appear at the audit, despite being summoned as a witness. After facing criticism for her conduct during a July hearing, she resigned from her position in August but did not submit any excuse for her absence from the audit.
Jo pointed out that Moon had even changed her phone number to evade attendance, stating, "The person who once held their head high and displayed arrogance has cowardly gone into hiding, ignoring the legislative body's summons and inquiries." He condemned her pattern of irresponsibility, saying, "When problems arise, she resigns and disappears."
Calls for structural reform of the Korean refereeing system have intensified. Jo noted that Korean referees have not officiated in World Cup tournaments from the 2014 Brazil World Cup to the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. He criticized the Korea Football Association for investing over 100 million won annually in a special referee program from 2019 to 2025 without achieving significant results.
He also raised concerns about individuals previously implicated in match-fixing still exerting influence over referee assignments and evaluations, stating, "The situation has gone beyond mere system failures; it now requires judicial action and investigation."
In response, acting president of the Korea Football Association Lee Yong-soo explained, "Under the association's official registration procedures, individuals with problematic backgrounds are not allowed to register," suggesting that any misuse of names online is being monitored.
Regarding allegations that a referee evaluator pressured a referee to make unfavorable calls against a specific team, Lee stated, "The Sports Fairness Committee investigated this matter, and it was decided to report it to the police and the Sports Ethics Center."
During the audit, several witnesses, including former technical director Lee Im-saeng, who cited training schedules and flight arrangements with a Cambodian club as reasons for their absence, failed to attend. Jo demanded legal action against those who did not appear without valid reasons, in accordance with national assembly laws.
Culture Committee Chair Lee Jae-jeong remarked, "We are taking this situation very seriously and will take appropriate measures," adding that the assembly will utilize its authority to uphold its dignity.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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