South Korea vows tough action against match-fixing
South Korea vowed on Tuesday to show no mercy towards match-fixing after several sports have been hit by betting scandals, including the top football league.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: February 21, 2012 03:41 pm IST
South Korea vowed on Tuesday to show no mercy towards match-fixing after several sports have been hit by betting scandals, including the top football league.
Culture and sports minister Choe Kwang-Shik said any individual involved in match-fixing would receive maximum penalties.
"Match-fixing is not just a problem for some sports but an outright criminal act," he said, adding the government would take "comprehensive steps for fair and transparent playing environments".
Several professional volleyball players are under investigation for allegedly taking money from brokers to rig scores, and last year the top football league was rocked by a major match-fixing scandal.
Prosecutors last week also arrested a driver suspected of fixing results in motorboat racing.
Under a law revised last year, players and officials accused of match-fixing face a maximum jail term of five years or a fine of up to 50 million won ($44,480).
Choe said the government would raise its financial rewards for people who report corruption in sports while reducing penalties for players who voluntarily confess involvement in betting scandals.
Players who fail to confess but are found to be involved in such scandals will be expelled permanently from their sport.
Government-appointed supervisors will monitor professional sports to prevent corruption, and clubs must hold four seminars a year on preventing match-fixing, Choe said.
Police and government agencies will strengthen a crackdown on illegal betting sites, he added.
South Korea has tough laws restricting gambling, but numerous illegal Internet betting sites cover various sports.