“Choi confessed Tuesday that he engaged in match fixing last year,” a K-League official said Wednesday.
 Suwon BlueWings captain Choi Sung-kuk, seen in this photo taken on March 31 during a press conference in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, denies rumors that he was involved in match fixing in the K-League. However, the striker admitted Tuesday he knew of the scheme last season. / Korea Times |
Former national football team player Choi Sung-kuk, now captain of Suwon BlueWings, admitted his involvement in the match fixing last season. But he denied active role in the scam though he attended a relevant meeting.
“Choi confessed Tuesday that he engaged in match fixing last year,” a K-League official said Wednesday.
The Korean professional football league ordered him to go to Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office, which is investigating the match-fixing scandal, and Choi is now being investigated.
The official said Choi is insisting that though he attended the meeting asking for his involvement in match fixing he didn’t do it. “Also I never received any money,” Choi was quoted as saying.
The Suwon captain was referring to league cup games between his then-team Gwangju Sangmu and Seongnam Chunma on June 2 and against Ulsan Tigers on June 6.
Choi also said that he informed coaching staff of the scheme but they ignored his statement.
The 28-year-old is the second man to volunteer information on match fixing. Last weekend former national team goalkeeper Yeom Dong-gyun came forward to the K-League and revealed his involvement in the widening match-fixing scandal.
Choi made his debut in the K-League in 2003 and has 42 goals with 25 assists in 219 appearances.
The 1.72-meter tall forward is good at dribbling and scoring, once called the “Korean Maradona,” when he was a member of the Olympic team.
In May the league opened a seminar in order to prevent match fixing and at that time Choi denied at a press conference rumors of his involvement saying, “If I had done anything wrong, I would’ve been summoned by the prosecution.”
So far 10 of 11 footballers found to be involved in rigging games have been banned permanently from the K-League.
Yesterday, prosecutors began the trials with ex-Pohang Steelers midfielder Kim Jung-kyum sentenced to 10 months in prison with two years’ probation and 80 hours of community service.
But the other trials were postponed as the defendants could possibly have been involved in or have information on match fixing in yet more fixtures.
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