The nation's top sports organization launched an audit Monday into the local football governing body over a corruption scandal involving a dismissed employee.
The Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) dispatched a special inspection team, headed by its secretary general Choi Jong-jun, to the Korea Football Association (KFA), officials said.
The KFA came under fire last week when its labor union revealed a former employee received 150 million won ($133,210) in settlement on his way out after he threatened to disclose corruption within the KFA.
The employee, who had been handling accounting and finances since 2006, was fired on Dec. 31 last year for allegedly attempting to steal football equipment and embezzling a large sum of the KFA's funds using corporate credit card reward points. The KFA decided on Jan. 13 to pay him the settlement.
In the aftermath, Kim Jin-kook, executive director at the KFA and the principal figure behind the decision to pay the employee, resigned from his post.
Choi had a brief meeting with KFA President Cho Chung-yun Monday. Choi said the KOC would conduct its audit "swiftly," while Cho wasn't available for comment.
Kim Joo-sung, the KFA's new secretary general, said the football body will fully cooperate with the KOC.
"Based on the findings from the audit, we will take any necessary follow-up measures to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents," Kim said. "We will thoroughly investigate all suspicions and alleviate concerns of football fans."
Park Myung-kyu, head of the KOC's auditing department, said the ongoing special inspection may have its limits, and an additional investigation may take place during the KOC's regular audit of sports agencies in April.
"The focus of this audit will be on verifying suspicions raised in media reports," Park said. "I've heard prosecutors are also interested in the situation." (Yonhap)