An Se-young of South Korea celebrates after beating He Bingjiao of China for the gold medal in the women’s singles badminton event at the Paris Olympics at Porte de La Chapelle Arena in Paris on Aug. 5, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept.11 (Korea Bizwire) – The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has launched an investigation into the Korean Badminton Association following outspoken comments by An Se-young, the 2024 Paris Olympics badminton gold medalist.
The probe has already uncovered outdated practices within the association and prompted calls for reform.
According to the ministry’s interim findings, released on September 10, the association has been restricting players’ individual sponsorships and forcing them to use only equipment from official sponsors.
However, it was revealed that bonuses from these sponsors were not being properly distributed to the athletes.
The ministry also recommended abolishing regulations that limit non-national team players’ participation in international competitions and outdated rules requiring athletes to “obey coaches’ orders.”
Additionally, allegations of misconduct by Kim Taek-gyu, the association’s president, and some executives have surfaced.
“Through this investigation, we aim to correct what’s wrong and ensure the association operates fairly and transparently,” a ministry official stated during a briefing at the Government Complex Seoul.
The ministry has interviewed 22 out of 48 national team members, including An Se-young, and plans to speak with the remaining 26 before announcing the final results at the end of the month.
The investigation responds directly to An’s plea for allowing individual sponsorship deals. Currently, the association prohibits such arrangements and mandates the use of sponsor-provided equipment, including items crucial to performance like rackets and shoes.
Among 44 Olympic and Asian Games sports, only boxing and badminton in South Korea enforce such strict equipment rules.
Some players expressed concern that individual sponsorships might reduce support for younger athletes. The ministry acknowledged that this issue might require further consideration once lower-ranked players voice their opinions.
The probe also uncovered irregularities in the distribution of sponsor bonuses for outstanding performances in international competitions. Players were unaware of the existence of such bonus contracts, and the explicit clause about direct payments to athletes was quietly removed in April 2023.
An Se-young of South Korea kisses her gold medal won in the women’s singles badminton event at the Paris Olympics at Porte de La Chapelle Arena in Paris on Aug. 5, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Lee Jung-woo, director-general of the ministry’s sports bureau, said, “The players’ stance is that they received bonuses before the sponsor changed, but not properly afterward.”
A provision allocating 20% of total sponsorship funds to national team players as performance bonuses also disappeared without players’ knowledge in June 2021.
The ministry plans to lift restrictions on non-national team players competing in international events.
Current rules only allow participation for those who have been on the national team for at least five years and meet age requirements (28 for men, 27 for women).
Allegations of financial impropriety have also come to light. The association’s president is accused of misappropriating about 300 million won worth of sponsorship goods over two years.
Some executives reportedly received 68 million won in incentives, violating association rules.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
