Tears of Kim Jae-bong, who was almost forced to retire under the false accusation of "illegal sports gambling," "I wanted to give up everything then."
Tears of Kim Jae-bong, who was almost forced to retire under the false accusation of "illegal sports gambling," "I wanted to give up everything then."
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Kim Jae-bong (28) was speechless. There was silence. Tears formed around his eyes.
"It was tough. I wanted to give up everything. But I thought it would be unfair to cut ties with soccer. You will remain as someone who left the country disgracedly because you played illegal sports gambling. I had to prove myself that I did not play illegal sports gambling. I proved it," Kim Jae-bong said with difficulty.
Kim made his professional debut by joining Seongnam FC in 2018. He played for Jeju United (the predecessor of Jeju SK), Ansan Greeners, and Gwangju FC. Kim was promoted to the K League 1 through Seongnam, Jeju, and Gwangju. He also won the K League 2 trophy in Jeju and Gwangju.
Notably, he garnered strong trust from Lee Jung-hyo, who made his debut as a professional coach in the 2022 season, and took the lead in winning the K-League 2 title in Gwangju. Kim played in 29 K-League 2 matches during this season. As a center back with 188 centimeters of left foot, Kim was praised for his ability to control balls in the air, speed and defense as well as build-up capabilities. His steady performance elevated Kim's stock price.
August 1, 2023. Gwangju announced the termination of its contract with Kim Jae-bong. The reason for the termination of the contract was that he "gambled illegally" before joining Gwangju.
MK Sports met Kim Jae-bong.
Q. If you search for Kim Jae-bong on a portal site, negative articles come out. In particular, Kim Jae-bong's name is followed by "illegal sports gambling." Let me ask you bluntly. Did you gamble on illegal sports.
Let me be clear. I didn't play illegal sports gambling. I proved this by going to Gwangju Seobu Police Station, Korea Football Association, and Sports Ethics Center.
Q. Gwangju will terminate his contract with Kim Jae-bong on August 1, 2023. At that time, Gwangju cited 'illegal sports gambling' as the reason for termination. It is known that Kim Jae-bong 'admitted to illegal sports gambling.'
That's a long story. I hope many of you listen to it all. I've never played sports gambling in my life. I don't even look. However, I did something wrong. It was during the COVID-19 period. I went to a hold-um pub. I bet my money on it. It was illegal. At first, I didn't know it was a big deal. My close brother opened a hold-um pub, so it became a habit after doing it once or twice for fun.
Q. Holdum pubs are not illegal. However, you can be punished by exchanging the chips, seed rights, points, etc. you earn there in cash or in kind. Simply put, it's illegal for cash to flow in and out of the Holdham pub. Didn't you know this. 안전놀이터
I didn't know. But as time passed, "What I didn't know" was really a big mistake. I have fans who cared for me and supported me. I have people who trusted me and gave me a chance. It was a huge disappointment for everyone. I admit my mistake at Holdam Pub. I'm very sorry.
Q. That's where I'm curious. Why did you admit to "illegal sports gambling".
It was true that I gambled at the Holdam pub. There was no excuse. That's why I admitted it. But what I did was include "illegal sports gambling." You became the person who admitted "illegal sports gambling" that you'd never even looked at. It was totally unexpected.
The sky seemed to be falling. I was so afraid that I might never play the soccer that I gave my life to. At first, I didn't know what to do. I was so distracted. I thought that if I stayed still, I would leave the soccer world in disgrace. I found what I could do right away and organized it.