Prosecutors Seek Arrest Warrant for Former Ansan FC President Over 'Bribery in Professional Football Recruitment'

The prosecution investigating allegations of corruption in professional soccer player recruitment has moved to secure the custody of former Ansan Greeners FC representatives and other club officials.

Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

According to the legal community on the 1st, the Criminal Division 9 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Hyun-ah) filed arrest warrants the previous day against former Ansan FC CEO Lee Jong-geol (61) and former head of the Strengthening Team Bae Mo (44) on charges of breach of trust and embezzlement.

A prosecution official stated, "This is a chronic problem in the soccer world where intermediaries and clubs collude, undermining the fairness of player selection," adding, "The amount involved is substantial, and there is a risk of evidence destruction, so arrest warrants were requested."

According to the prosecution, Lee is accused of receiving a total of 27 million won, including 10 million won in cash and luxury watches worth 17 million won, from agent Choi Mo (36, detained) between November last year and January this year in exchange for recruiting two players to Ansan FC. Bae, who worked as the head of the Strengthening Team, is accused of receiving 30 million won in cash from Choi between August last year and February this year while overseeing the club's scouting operations in exchange for recruiting these players.

The prosecution has accelerated the investigation by indicting former Ansan FC coach Lim Jong-heon (57, detained) and detaining agent Choi after reapplying for an arrest warrant.

The prosecution is expected to secure the custody of Lee and Bae to question whether there was an organized conspiracy at the club level related to player recruitment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.