September 8, 2015
SEOUL (AFP) - South Korean police announced Tuesday a formal investigation into match-fixing and illegal gambling by more than two dozen current and former sportsmen, mostly basketball and judo players.
Police said the probe had been triggered by an alleged game-rigging incident in February this year, involving a 29-year-old basketball player -- identified only by his surname Kim.
Kim was suspected of helping throw a match by intentionally missing a number of baskets at the request of a fellow gambler and 28-year-old judo player, a police statement said.
Twenty four other current and retired players -- 11 in basketball, 12 in judo and one in wrestling -- are also being investigated for alleged gambling on sports fixtures using illegal Internet betting sites, the statement said.
The wagers ranged from just one million won ($830) to hundreds of millions of won.
Local media reported that Kim Seon-Hyeong, a star basketball player for SK Knights, was among those being questioned over illegal gambling.
Professional sports in South Korea have been rocked by a series of scandals in recent years, touching football, volleyball, basketball and even motorboat racing.
In 2013, basketball legend and star coach Kang Dong-Hee was convicted of match fixing and was permanently banned by the basketball league.
In 2011 prosecutors charged 57 people -- 46 current and former players and 11 criminal gang members and bookmakers -- with fixing the results of 15 matches in the professional football K-League.
South Korea has tough laws restricting gambling and the government has stepped up a crackdown on illegal Internet betting sites in recent years.
