Five K League Football Clubs Fined For Bribing Elementary, Middle School Officials

Five professional football teams in the K League are "under fire for illegally scouting high-ranking elementary and middle school players by giving kickbacks to school managers and coaches," according to Sung-wook & Sang-soo of the KOREA JOONGANG DAILY. The Busan District Court, headed by Senior Judge Park Hyung-joon, said on Saturday that scouts and officials from five K-League teams; Suwon Samsung Bluewings, Pohang Steelers, Busan IPark, Chunnam Dragons and Ulsan Hyundai Tigers, "gave hundreds of millions of won in kickbacks to four middle and elementary school managers to send their top talent to the middle and high school teams that have been managed by the club for years." Under K League regulations, each club "must run one school team as a measure to improve and support athletic teams in schools." Normally, the player on a school team that is managed by a certain club "joins that club after graduation" (KOREA JOONGANG DAILY, 2/13).