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Match-fixing makes it into Korea

A source tipped me off about this several months ago. A major Asian betting monopoly would take certain Korean football matches off the board without making a big deal about them, knowing that they were likely to be fixed. Now the stories are breaking into the world press....


K-League's Pohang Steelers fire midfielder Kim amid widening match-fixing scandal


SEOUL, South Korea — The Pohang Steelers have fired midfielder Kim Jung-kyum for allegedly betting on one of his own games in a match-fixing scandal that is widening in South Korea.

The Yonhap news agency reported Thursday that the K-League club terminated Kim's contract because he allegedly bet on the outcome of one of the Steeler's matches two months ago.

Five players from different clubs have been arrested and charged with taking money from gambling brokers and allegedly making deliberate mistakes that led to their teams losing, according to domestic media.

Jeong Jong-kwan, a former K-League player, was found dead this week in an apparent suicide. He left a note claiming his involvement in match-fixing schemes, Yonhap reported.



The net widens. Again - the best way to prevent fraud is through regulation. When gambling is fully licensed and regulated with firms prepared to share betting details with sporting authorities, then there is a strong deterrent against fraudsters. When cash betting goes unmonitored via licensed and unlicensed firms, fixing a result is much easier to achieve....

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