The depth of the decay in sports administration

Since an inner clean-up and reform cannot be expected, police must carry out a thorough investigation to root out unfair and corrupt practices and pave the way for a democratic and transparent system.

Two-term president of Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) Lee Kee-heung can bid for a third term though he has been suspended by the government on allegations of illegal practices and misdemeanors. A day after the suspension was issued, the KSOC’s Commission for Fair Play in Sport on Tuesday concluded that Lee was eligible to run for a third term in the leadership election in January. Presidency is granted for two terms under the KSOC statutes, but a third term is possible when endorsed by the Commission for Fair Play in Sport.

Lee was suspended from his office on Monday following the release of findings from a government-led ethics inspection team under the Office of Government Policy Coordination on the prior day. According to the findings, Lee ordered changes to hiring guidelines to employ a friend of his daughter as a staffer of national team dormitories in 2022 and demoted those who defied him. He gave out sponsored mobile phones worth a total of 17 million won ($12,078) to his acquaintances during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. During the Paris Olympiad, he included five of his acquaintances in the group of observers whose flights were covered by KSOC. All of these cases go against the fair play spirit of sports. The government has asked the police to probe Lee and six others for multiple criminal misconducts, including embezzlement and negligence of duty.

Yet the KSOC subcommittee cleared the way for Lee’s extended term. All 15 members of the committee were handpicked by Lee, including the chair who was his former adviser. The committee meeting took place behind closed doors. Lee has boycotted his summons to legislative hearings by going on business trips. He filed for a court injunction against the suspension and a lawsuit to nullify the administrative order.

The malfeasance of the KSOC and Lee underscores the depth of the decay in sports administration from draconian management and privatized organization. The outdated practices in the sports community were exposed by An Se-young — the gold medalist in badminton in the Paris Olympics — who was forced to comply with the association’s rules and unfair contract.

Since an inner clean-up and reform cannot be expected, police must carry out a thorough investigation to root out unfair and corrupt practices and pave the way for a democratic and transparent system. The sovereignty of the sports ethics center also should be reinforced.

The role of the Sports Ministry responsible for the KSOC requires a re-examination. The minister admits that the commission has become monstrous, but the ministry also shares responsibility for the poor mess of the KSOC running on more than 400 billion won of taxes a year. But the ministry didn’t carry out a single audit over the last six years.