K-League Match Fixing Scandal Shocks Korea

A dramatic match-mixing scandal has clouded Asia’s oldest professional football league, putting into question the very integrity of the sport in South Korea.

The league in question, the K-League, was founded back in 1983 as the Korean Super League. It was renamed and expanded to its current form, with 16 teams, in 1998. It is the only professional football league in Korea.

Recently, allegations have surfaced of bribery and match fixing within the K-League. There have been six players arrested, as well as two gambling brokers. The arrests are in connection with financial benefits given to players in exchange for those players attempting to fix matches.

The scandal has led to many calls for the league to investigate and weed out any players who may be involved in the match-fixing ring. The league’s general secretary, Ahn Ki-heon, has issued a deadline of June 13 for players to come forward and admit their part in any match fixing or provide information that will help with the investigation. Players may still be punished if they cooperate before the deadline, but will be treated more leniently than those who attempt to hide their part in the scandal.

Perhaps the most dramatic and tragic event related to the scandal occurred last week. Midfielder Jeong Jong-Kwan, a 29-year-old who played for third-division Seoul United, was found hanging in his hotel room, dead. The death was ruled a suicide. The player left a note behind saying that he was “ashamed to have been involved in match-fixing,” and that “I did it and it’s all my responsibility.”

Five of the arrested players have been members of Daejeon Citizen, a K-League team. The team has won one Korean FA Cup in 2001, and finished 13^th in the most 2010 season.