South Korean badminton player An Se-young (C) speaks with reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Aug. 7, 2024, after returning home with the women’s singles gold medal from the Paris Olympics. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Korea Bizwire) – An Se-young, the badminton player who secured South Korea’s first Olympic gold medal in women’s singles in 28 years, earned approximately 900 million won last year in prize money and salary.
However, this figure pales in comparison to the earnings of top-ranked players in more popular sports, igniting a debate about athlete compensation in the country.
According to the Badminton World Federation (BWF), An won eight World Tour tournaments last season and reached the semifinals of the tour finals, earning $628,020 in prize money.
This placed her second overall, just behind men’s singles world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, who earned $645,095.
An’s base salary from her team, Samsung Life Insurance, is estimated at around 61 million won.
This is governed by the Korea Badminton Association’s regulations, which cap the starting salary for high school graduate players at 50 million won, with annual increases limited to 7% for the first three years.
The discrepancy between An’s earnings and those of her international competitors is stark.
For instance, PV Sindhu of India, ranked 13th in the world, reportedly earned $7.1 million last year from endorsements and sponsorships alone — nearly ten times An’s total income, despite Sindhu’s BWF tour earnings ranking only 99th at $54,015.
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
This disparity is largely due to South Korea’s restrictions on individual sponsorships for athletes, a policy absent in many other countries.
An has publicly called for more flexible regulations, stating in a recent interview, “I wish they would lift restrictions and open things up more.”
The badminton community in South Korea has acknowledged An’s perspective but notes the challenges faced by less popular sports.
The Korea Badminton Association currently uses sponsorship funds to support the entire national team, not just top performers.
There are concerns that allowing individual sponsorships could significantly reduce support for less prominent and junior players.
In response to the ongoing debate, the Korea Badminton Federation is considering revisions to its salary cap and signing bonus regulations.
Proposals include shortening contract periods and increasing maximum allowable salaries and signing bonuses. The federation aims to implement these changes by next year.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
