[The Temptation of Match-Fixing] ① 40 Years Since Pro Launch, Match-Fixing Must Be Eradicated

Professional sports in South Korea have recently surpassed 40 years since their inception. Professional baseball (KBO), which started first on December 11, 1981, is now in its 42nd year, and professional soccer (K League) has reached its 40th anniversary. Basketball, a later entrant, has only officially established its professional league (KBL) 26 years ago, but counting its predecessor, the Basketball Grand Festival (started in 1983), it also marks 40 years. Professional volleyball (V League) began in February 2005 and is now in its 18th year.

Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium where the professional baseball game was held. This game is unrelated to the article content. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Despite this long history, the grounds and courts are still exposed to the risk of 'match-fixing.' According to the legal community, dozens of 'sports gambling' related cases are adjudicated weekly in courts across the country. The biggest source of match-fixing is sports gambling. Moneyed intermediaries and brokers operate illegal betting sites or place bets on specific game outcomes listed on these sites. They then approach current players and coaches through acquaintances, tempting them with money to manipulate the games. When this is carried out, it becomes 'match-fixing.'

South Korea has experienced match-fixing scandals in all four major professional sports (baseball, soccer, basketball, volleyball). General sports such as e-sports, horse racing, Ssireum (Korean wrestling), judo, and Taekwondo are no exceptions. According to a 2021 study by Professor Lee Ji-yong of Korea National Sport University and others, published in the Korean Journal of Sport Measurement and Evaluation titled 'Case Analysis of Sports Match-Fixing Using Topic Modeling,' 43 match-fixing cases were found to have been convicted in courts from 2010 to 2019. Among these, soccer had the highest number with 13 cases, followed by e-sports and horse racing with 8 cases each, baseball with 7, and Ssireum with 3.

K League logo
Photo by Korea Professional Football Federation

Professional Basketball Basketball [Photo by Asia Economy DB]

Question mark silhouette
Photo by Asia Economy DB

Now, the root of match-fixing must be eradicated. This fact is agreed upon by all parties, including the sports and legal communities. However, our laws are not sensitive to this issue. Lawyer Jang Dal-young, head of LAW&S Sports Culture Law Policy Research Institute, said, "While foreign laws use terms like 'sport fixing' and 'match fixing,' our laws do not yet have a separate term for '승부조작' (match-fixing)." He added, "There are only punishment provisions in the National Sports Promotion Act and the Criminal Act."

Generally, our judicial authorities, when match-fixing incidents occur, consider them as violations under the National Sports Promotion Act, specifically for 'improper solicitation or promise of money related to games' and 'interference with fair competition in various sports,' and punish the parties involved accordingly. Going a bit further, they view it as obstructing the normal operation of the event organizers and apply the criminal charge of 'obstruction of business.' There have been no cases where charges beyond these have been applied. The characteristics of each match-fixing case are not considered, and a 'one-size-fits-all' approach is repeatedly applied. Recently, due to adjustments in investigative authority between prosecutors and police, match-fixing cases have become even more marginalized. According to explanations from field officials, it is unclear whether prosecutors can conduct ex officio investigations on these crimes, and even if the police initiate investigations upon complaints, it is ambiguous whether prosecutors can take measures beyond requesting supplementary investigations.

A sports official emphasized, "To properly eradicate match-fixing, a legal system must be established that allows for detailed and professional judgments from investigation to trial and punishment," adding, "There also needs to be an increase in legal professionals specializing in the sports field."