The Korea Sports Agents Association (KSAA) issued a statement calling for institutional improvements, stating, "There is no future for Korean football without a healthy fan culture."
On the 25th, KSAA noted, "We express deep concern regarding the excessive behavior of some fans that has repeatedly occurred after recent K League and Korea Cup games," adding, "We officially request institutional improvements from the Korea Professional Football League (K League) and the Korea Football Association (KFA) to protect the human rights of players and coaches and maintain a healthy ecosystem for the league."
KSAA believes that recent actions at K League and Korea Cup venues, such as "blocking buses," "one-sided protests," and "public humiliation of coaches and players," have crossed the line from simple support to threats.
KSAA explained the reasons for requesting institutional improvements, stating, "Such behaviors are seriously negatively impacting not only the psychological safety of the players but also the overall image of the league," and that "attempts by clubs to privatize and the empowerment of certain fan communities pose a significant threat to the sustainability of Korean professional football."
They urged the establishment of a total of five items: ▲ Establishment of standards for sanctions against threatening behavior (ensuring the possibility of investigation and sanctions at the league level regardless of whether clubs report 'blocking buses' and other actions) ▲ Warnings and sanctions against public humiliation and personal attacks (building a proactive response system against unfair public attacks on players and coaches) ▲ Restrictions on game access for repeat offenders (administrative sanctions such as restricting access to home and away games, and warnings) ▲ Strengthening safety response protocols at stadiums (ensuring physical safety through separating spectator sections, expanding the deployment of safety personnel, and improving rapid response systems) ▲ Regular communication and educational campaigns with fan communities (ongoing communication and guidance activities for a healthy fan culture).
KSAA added, "We will continue to take the lead in creating an environment for the sustainability and development of Korean professional sports and closely cooperate with related organizations to ensure that the human rights of players and coaches are respected."
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