Badminton Korea denies embezzlement, threatens legal action

Korea's national badminton association denied embezzlement allegations made by the government, instead threatening to report the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for defamation.

Kim Taek-gyu, president of the Badminton Korea Association (BKA), speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport after returning from the Paris Olympics on Aug. 7 [YONHAP]

Korea's national badminton association denied embezzlement allegations made by the government, instead threatening to report the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for defamation.

The Badminton Korea Association (BKA) released a statement late Friday, three days after the Culture Ministry announced interim results of its probe into the badminton body's administration.

The ministry launched the investigation last month after An Se-young, the women's singles gold medalist at the Paris Olympics, criticized the national federation's treatment of athletes and its overall operations.

In announcing interim findings, Lee Jung-woo, chief of the sports bureau at the ministry, mentioned potential misconduct by BKA President Kim Taek-gyu.

Kim is suspected of leading an improper distribution of 140 million won ($105,015) worth of sponsored goods without following official procedures, leading the ministry to believe Kim might have committed embezzlement and breach of trust, and then to report the case to the authorities.

On Friday, the BKA claimed the ministry didn't have enough evidence to bring such charges against Kim.

Korean badminton player An Se-young [NEWS1]

The association said most of the goods in question are shuttlecocks, and they were distributed properly. It also denied charges that Kim had received any illicit kickbacks in the process.

"To accuse an individual of embezzlement and breach of trust without definitive evidence is clearly an act of defamation. We will absolutely hold them legally responsible," the BKA's statement read.

"Different institutions are taking shots at us based only on a few pieces of information, rather than looking at the overall picture of our policy and rules. Since we're fully cooperating with the ministry, we'd like to ask people to refrain from making assumptions or criticizing us without verifying facts."

Earlier Friday, four vice presidents of the BKA released a joint statement calling on Kim, executive director Kim Jong-woong and auditor Park Kye-ok to resign in light of the ministry's investigation.

The four vice presidents said allegations of embezzlement and workplace abuse against Kim Taek-gyu and Kim Jong-woong have given the BKA a black eye, and said Park should hold himself accountable for failing to identify questionable practices at the association.

BY YONHAP, YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]