Paying scandal in Korean Baseball

The Samsung Lions are the latest of four clubs admitting they have paid a former umpire. The Lions, the former club of Dutchy Rick van den Hurk paid the umpire a day before they clinched the 2013 KBO title.

A senior club employee wired four million Won (USD 3,850) to a person surnamed Choi, back then an umpire in the KBO. The former employee was contacted by Choi for some quick cash. The employee has left the Samsung Lions every since and Choi retired in 2014.

It may be clear that financial transactions between club employees and umpires are strictly forbidden in the KBO.

According to the Lions, they were not aware of the felony until the ex-employee was interrogated by prosecutors. The former employee told the prosecutors he had known Choi for a while and that he lend him four million Won as a friend.

Three other clubs are involved in this scandal as well. The Doosan Bears’ President, Kim Seung-Young admitted he had given 3 million Won to Choi. After making the confession, Kim Seung-Young resigned.
As a coincidence, the Doosan Bears took on the Samsung Lions in the 2013 championship series of the KBO.

Also, the Nexen Heroes and the Kia Tigers are involved in this snowballing scandal. Two employees of the Kia Tigers wired 1 million Won each.

On Wednesday, prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for Choi on charges of fraud and habitual gambling. According to the prosecutors, Choi borrowed about thirty million Won from baseball clubs without paying them back.

The confession of the Samsung Lions may not be the last.