K-League to introduce lie detector tests
SEOUL - K-League authorities will introduce polygraph testing as part of a drive to drag South Korea's professional football league out of a deep-rooted match-fixing scandal, local media reported on Monday.
The league would also double the minimum wage for players and introduce a new pension scheme to negate the lure of easy money, the Yonhap news agency reported.
"We will introduce a pension plan for players and strive to improve rights and welfare for players," the league bosses said in a statement.
"The [annual] minimum wage will be doubled from the current 12 million won ($11,350) to 24 million won starting next year."
The league is grappling with the worst scandal in its 28-year history that led to the arrest of 46 players last week in relation to attempted fixing of 15 matches from June to October last year.
Prosecutors have also charged 11 brokers, including several former players, with match-fixing and 10 players have been kicked out of the sport for accepting cash to tank matches, while another has been banned for five years.
The league authorities have decided that players suspected of wrongdoings would be asked to take a polygraph test, also known as lie detector, while all clubs would be required to submit their plans to prevent such scandals.
Players and coaches who skip sessions on prevention of corruption would be suspended.
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"We're working on amending rules so that if match-fixing recurs, teams will be put at a great disadvantage," the K League statement said.
"Teams will be relegated to a lower-tier league, will lose points in the standings, or will be stripped of their rights to play in the AFC Champions League."
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