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The 2011 South Korean football match-fixing scandal was a large-scale match-fixing scandal, which occurred in K League and Korean League Cup since 2010 and was revealed in 2011. A total of 57 footballers were charged with the scandal and 55 players among them were punished.

Background

The match-fixing scandals in South Korean football already began between amateur players in 2008. K3 League club Seoul Pabal was dissolved after a significant number of its players were convicted of dealing with a Chinese betting site, and four Korea National League players were also prosecuted for the same reason around the same time.

The inception of this scandal was the alleged suicide of Incheon United player Yoon Ki-won on 6 May 2011. His suicide was amplified with the match-fixing allegations through media and football fans. The press heard from staffs of K League clubs that brokers and gangsters approached to players in the previous year.

After an arrest warrant was issued for two football players on 25 May by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office of the Republic of Korea, the K League's match-fixing case began to surface. The prosecutors arrested two brokers and were investigating ten players, including former national team member Kim Dong-hyun.

First investigation

The reports of the arrests of two footballers by the South Korean media led to the exposure of the initial match-fixing scandals in the K League. The arrested footballers were Park Sang-wook of Daejeon Citizen and Sung Kyung-mo of Gwangju FC.

On 27 May, four players of Daejeon Citizen were also arrested and more extensive investigations were held into match-fixing.

On 30 May, former footballer Jung Jong-kwan, who played for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors was found dead in an apparent suicide. In his suicide note, he said "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."

On 17 June, the Changwon branch of Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced an investigation result of match-fixing. Ten football players were banned from playing in the South Korean football permanently. Pohang Steelers player Kim Jung-kyum did not directly come in with match-fixing, but was banned for five years in South Korean football, because he made unfair profits from the knowledge of match-fixing. Daejeon Citizen's dividend of Sports Toto was reduced by 30% for the 2011 season, and Gwangju FC and Sangju Sangmu Phoenix were reduced by 10% each. (Sports Toto was a legal betting business of South Korean government.)

Second investigation

After the end of the first investigation focused on Daejeon Citizen, Changwon branch of Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the military prosecution broadened the scope of their investigation against Jeonnam Dragons' players. Players who turned themselves in to the prosecutor also appeared, while the number of players summoned by the prosecutor was increasing.

On 29 June, another South Korean international Choi Sung-kuk voluntarily confessed that he attended a conspiracy, but didn't participate in match-fixing.

On 7 July, Changwon Prosecutors' Office announced that ten players including retired players were arrested on suspicion of match-fixing, 33 players including retired players were under indictment, and three players were summarily indicted. Choi Sung-kuk was also indicted for participating in match-fixing.

On 12 July, Sangju Sangmu Phoenix manager Lee Soo-chul was arrested for accepting bribes and intimidation charges in 2010 season. One of indicted players Do Hwa-sung was running his private betting site, and it was caught by investigators.

On 3 August, Changwon Prosecutors' Office lastly announced four more indicted players.

On 25 August, K League Federation announced that 40 players among 46 indicted players in the second investigation were banned for life from football. However, it let 25 players who had confessed have a possibility to reduce their punishment.

Affected matches

The Changwon branch of Supreme Prosecutors' Office concluded that nineteen matches in the 2010 season and two matches in the 2011 season were fixed.

Clubs in bold had players involved in match-fixing.

Indicted players

Bettor of fixed match

• Kim Jung-kyum (Pohang Steelers)

Players unrelated to match-fixing among bribed players

• Kim Jee-hyuk (Gwangju Sangmu)
• Lim In-sung (Gwangju Sangmu)
• Ju Kwang-youn (Gwangju Sangmu)
• Hong Seong-yo (Busan IPark)
• Kim Eung-jin (Busan IPark)
• Lee Jung-ho (Busan IPark)
• Park Sang-cheol (Jeonnam Dragons)

Acquitted players

• Kim Seung-hyun (Jeonnam Dragons)
• On Byung-hoon (Daegu FC)

References

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• Match fixing in association football
• 2011 in South Korean football
• Scandals in South Korea
• 2011 scandals