Isookjin Lee, Former Vice Minister of Gender Equality, Appointed as the First Chairman of the Sports Ethics Center

Lee Suk-jin, Chairperson of the Sports Ethics Center, is delivering a greeting at the 'Sports Ethics Center Launch Ceremony' held on the 5th at the Salvation Army Building in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Lee Suk-jin, former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, will serve as the inaugural Chairperson of the Sports Ethics Center, a dedicated organization for protecting the human rights of athletes and eradicating sports corruption.

On the 5th, Park Yang-woo, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, presented the appointment letter and the center’s license to the new Chairperson Lee at the Sports Ethics Center office in Chungjeong-ro, Seoul.

Chairperson Lee is an expert in gender equality, human rights, and administration, having served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family from June 2017 to February 2019, and as CEO of the Seoul Foundation of Women and Family, gaining diverse experience in both public and private sectors. She is expected to lead the Sports Ethics Center for the next three years.

Minister Park said, “I thank Chairperson Lee Suk-jin for accepting the important role as the inaugural Chairperson of the Sports Ethics Center,” and added, “We expect her to lead the center well to protect human rights in the sports community and ensure fairness.”

Chairperson Lee pledged, “I will ensure that the Sports Ethics Center establishes itself as an institution faithful to independence, expertise, and reliability, protecting the human rights of sportspeople and contributing to sports for all citizens and sports for our daily lives.”

The Sports Ethics Center was initiated following a sports-related sexual violence incident that occurred in January last year, with the aim of fundamentally improving human rights violations and corruption. Subsequently, following the revision of the National Sports Promotion Act in February, the establishment task force prepared for six months, and on this day, the center was registered as a legal entity.