"We define the Gwangju city Government's forgery of a document guaranteeing the central Government's financial support as a case in which a municipal Government deceived a state organisation, disrupting the discipline of the state," a Government official told South Korean news agency Yonhap.

"The authority decided not to execute the budget pledged for the event as punishment for the forgery."


Gwangju was awarded the rights to the 2019 aquatics showpiece on Friday (July 19) as news came to light that the city's Mayor Kang Un-tae, who also serves as co-chairman of the Gwangju 2015 Universiade, would face criminal charges for allegedly forging the signatures of both former Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and former Culture Minister Choe Kwang-sik in a document that served as a financial guarantee from the Government.

The Government had originally planned to cover 30 per cent of the costs for the $53.5 million (£35.1 million/€40.7 million) event.

FINA was unavailable for comment.

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