2011 South Korean football betting scandal

The 2011 South Korean football betting scandal involved South Korea's top professional football leagues, K-League. In mid-2011, South Korean association football, especially K-League, was overshadowed by the discovery of match fixing scandal among the players, brokers such as gangsters and coaches in K-League.

Background

After an arrest warrant was issued for two football players on 25 May 2011 by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the K-League's match-fixing case began to surface.[1] The prosecutors arrested two brokers and are investigating 10 players, including Sangju Sangmu Phoenix's striker and former national team member Kim Dong-Hyun.[1] The inception of this scandal was the alleged suicide of one footballer named Yoon Ki-Won of Incheon United.[2] His suicide was amplified with the match-fixing allegations through media and football fans.[3] But K-League trying to purified itself and other persons who were involved in match-fixing didn't appear, match-fixing scandal was an open secret in K-League through the illegal betting sites.[4]

Affected football matches

On 7 July 2011, Changwon division of Supreme Prosecutors' Office revealed fifteen match-fixing matches.[5][6]

Bold team is leading the match-fixing

Competition Date Home Result Away Match-fixing Result
League Cup 2 June 2010 Sangmu 1–1 Seongnam Failure
6 June 2010 Ulsan 2–0 Sangmu Success
17 July 2010 Daejeon 0–4 Jeonbuk Success
K League 18 July 2010 Daegu 1–3 Suwon Success
24 July 2010 Incheon 2–3 Jeju Success
25 July 2010 Daegu 1–1 Gyeongnam Failure
31 July 2010 Gyeongnam 3–2 Incheon Success
7 August 2010 Daegu 1–3 Daejeon Success
7 August 2010 Jeju 4–0 Sangmu Success
28 August 2010 Sangmu 1–1 Gyeongnam Success
29 August 2010 Busan 5–3 Chunnam Success
4 September 2010 Chunnam 3–0 Daejeon Success
18 September 2010 Ulsan 3–0 Chunnam Success
19 September 2010 Daejeon 3–0 Sangmu Success
27 October 2010 Busan 0–1 Suwon Success

On 4 August 2011, Changwon division of Supreme Prosecutors' Office revealed additional four match-fixing matches.[7]

Competition Date Home Result Away Match-fixing Result
League Cup 6 June 2010 Seoul 5–1 Sangmu Success
K League 9 October 2010 Seoul 3–2 Gyeongnam Success
27 October 2010 Jeju 1–1 Seoul Failure
3 November 2010 Sangmu 0–1 Chunnam Success

Also, 2011 season's two matches were related match-fixing.[8]

Competition Date Home Result Away Match-fixing Result
League Cup 6 April 2011 Busan 1–0 Gwangju Success
6 April 2011 Daejeon 0–3 Pohang Success

First investigation

The reports of the arrest of the two footballers by the South Korean media had led to the exposure of the initial match-fixing scandals in the K-League. Especially, former national football team member Kim Dong-Hyun was in deep connection with accomplices.[1] The arrested footballers were Park Sang-Wook of Daejeon Citizen and Sung Kyung-Mo of Gwangju FC.

On 27 May 2011, four players of Daejeon Citizen were also arrested and more extensive investigation was held for match-fixing.[9] On 30 May 2011, former footballer Jung Jong-Kwan who was played Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors was found in an apparent suicide. In his suicide note, there was his mind such as "I’m ashamed of myself as a person involved in the match fixing scandal. Those under investigation are all my friends and they haven’t blown my name because of friendship. All is my fault and I got them involved."[10]

Penalties

On 17 June 2011, the Changwon division of Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced an investigation result of match-fixing. Ten football players have been banned from playing in the South Korean football permanently.[11] And Kim Jung-Kyum of Pohang Steelers has been banned for five years in the South Korean football, because he made unfair profits of knowledge the match-fixing.[11] Daejeon Citizen's dividend of Sports Toto will be reduced 30% for 2011 season, and Gwangju FC and Sangju Sangmu Phoenix will be reduced 10% each.[11]

Second investigation

After first investigation ended, Changwon division of Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the military prosecution broadened the scope of the investigation. The first investigation was focused on related to Daejeon Citizen's players, second investigation was focused on related to Chunnam Dragons' players.[12]

On 7 July 2011, Changwon division of Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced investigation result of match-fixing. Ten retired and active football players were arrested on related match-fixing. And 29 retired and active football players were under indictment and three players were summarily indicted.[13]

Kim Dong-Hyun (Sangju Sangmu Phoenix), Park Sang-Wook, Sin Jun-Bae, Yang Jung-Min (all Daejeon Citizen) were arrested in 1st investigation, but weren't arrested in 2nd investigation.

On 12 July 2011, Sangju Sangmu Phoenix's manager Lee Soo-Chul was arrested for accepting bribes and intimidation charges in 2010 season.[14]

Imprisonment

On 29 August 2011, the Changwon division of Supreme Prosecutors' Office had sentenced thirty-nine retired & current footballers to imprisonment, and fines of 5 million won and as many as seven-years jail sentence.[15]

Imprisonment
be fined

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Match fixing scandal rocks K-League". The Korea Times. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  2. ↑ "Incheon United goalkeeper dies". The Korea Times. 6 May 2011.
  3. ↑ "K-리그 승부조작 의혹, 공론화한 까닭은?". Daily Sports (in Korean). 7 May 2011.
  4. ↑ "K리거 ‘불법 베팅’은 공공연한 비밀". Dong-a.com (in Korean). 9 May 2011.
  5. ↑ 프로축구 승부조작 15경기…연관된 선수-브로커만 63명 (in Korean). Donga.com. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  6. ↑ 끝 안보이는 프로축구 승부조작 (in Korean). Segye Ilbo. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  7. ↑ 檢, ‘프로축구 승부조작’ 4경기 추가 확인 (in Korean). Asiatoday. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  8. ↑ 구속된 골키퍼, 승부조작 노린 경기에 못 뛰었다 (in Korean). Chungcheong Ilbo. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  9. ↑ 승부조작 혐의 대전시티즌 선수 4명 추가 체포 (in Korean). SBS. 28 May 2011.
  10. ↑ "Footballer kills himself over match fixing scandal". The Korea Times. 30 May 2011.
  11. 1 2 3 "K리그 승부 조작 10명 영구 제명… 프로축구연맹 상벌위서 결정" (in Korean). Kukinews. 17 June 2011.
  12. ↑ 승부조작 관련 상주 2명 구속 '전남 커넥션' 밝혀지나. Sports Seoul (in Korean). 29 June 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  13. ↑ "K리그 선수 10명중 1명 승부조작". Sports Dong-A (in Korean). 8 July 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  14. ↑ 이수철 감독 구속, "승부조작 연루 선수 부모 협박, 금품 받아…". ART News (in Korean). 12 July 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  15. ↑ 프로축구 승부조작 39명에 구형..최고 징역 7년. Yonhap (in Korean) (Daum). 29 August 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
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