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S Korea threatens to close K-League over fixing

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-07-01 16:05

SEOUL - The South Korean government has threatened to shut down its professional football league if it emerges that multiple K-League teams are involved in the growing match-fixing scandal.

Related readings: Report: Top goalkeeper admits match fixing  12 charged over match fixing in S Korea  Korean players indicted over match-fixing scandal

The Sports Ministry said Friday that Vice Minister Park Sun-kyoo issued the warning in a meeting with football officials Thursday.

The ministry cited Park as saying it may eliminate a football club from the K-League if its players are found to have received kickbacks in return for attempting to rig the results of games.

Park says the entire K-League would be closed down if it emerges that several teams are linked with a match-fixing scandal.

Prosecutors last month indicted 14 people, including 10 K-League players, over the ongoing scandal.

A former K-League player, who allegedly worked as a broker, was found dead in an apparent suicide in May.