Scandal-ridden former military football coach found dead

A former head coach of a military football club participating in the K-League was found dead in an apparent suicide on Wednesday, one month after being given a two-year suspended sentence for his role in a football match-fixing scheme, police said. Lee Soo-cheol, who had led the Sangju Sangmu Phoenix from October 2010 to July, hanged himself in his home in Bundang, south of Seoul, according to the Bundang Police Station. "No suicide note was found, but his family members said he has been distressed in recent months by the match-rigging scandal," an investigator said. The 45-year-old coach was indicted in July on charges of blackmailing a player's parents and taking a bribe from them in exchange for concealing the player's connection to match rigging. While Lee denied the blackmailing charges, the court sentenced him to two years in prison with three years of probation last month. Apart from Lee, nine players from his team were indicted for their match-fixing ties, more than any other team in the league. As a result, the squad is facing expulsion from the league next season. Professional athletes in football, baseball, volleyball and basketball can complete their two-year mandatory military service while playing sports, and among them, those who pass physical tests and meet other performance-related criteria are allowed to join Sangmu. An investigation into the exact cause of Lee's death is under way by the defense ministry, which oversees the military football squad, according to the investigators. In May, Jeong Jong-kwan, a 29-year-old midfielder for third-division league team Seoul United, hanged himself at a hotel room in Seoul while being investigated for his involvement in the match-fixing scandal.