"Treating Association Staff Like Personal Articles," Employee Reveals
Allegations of Power Abuse, Verbal Abuse, and Corruption Raised
The Badminton Korea Association (hereafter the Association) has found itself in a dire situation following remarks made by An Se-young, a female badminton singles gold medalist at the Asian Games, World Championships, and Olympics. As public opinion grows demanding improvements in issues such as the national team’s forced obedience rules, restrictions on personal sponsors, and unfair contracts for professional players, allegations of abuse of power and corruption involving Kim Taek-gyu, the president of the Badminton Korea Association, have surfaced. On the 13th, Segye Ilbo reported that a former employee of the Association, Mr. A, claimed, "President Kim Taek-gyu ran the Association in a self-centered manner, and it was common for him to curse and shout if his orders were not followed."
Specifically, Mr. A stated, "Due to this oppressive atmosphere, no one inside the Association could say 'no' even when something was wrong," adding, "Some employees resigned because they could not endure it, and one executive was verbally abused at a staff dinner with the words, 'XX, what can you even do?'" Furthermore, there are claims that President Kim forced employees to act as his personal drivers and demanded excessive protocol even on weekends and holidays.
He reportedly summoned Association staff not only to the office in Songpa-gu, Seoul, but also to his residence and company in Seosan, Chungnam Province, once or twice a week to handle work, and made them serve as personal chauffeurs on weekends and holidays. Another employee said, "While attending a recreational sports event in Jeollanam-do at 11 a.m. on a weekend, he called a Seoul-based employee to Seosan for transportation and made them act as a personal driver regardless of weekdays or holidays," adding, "There was even an employee who complained that it felt like they drove 1,000 km in a day."
Not only abuse of power allegations but also sponsorship payback suspicions raised
In addition to abuse of power allegations, suspicions have been raised that the Association received an additional 30% of sponsorship funds without accounting for them in the books. On the 14th, Segye Ilbo reported that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism found that the Association and President Kim arbitrarily used 30% of the funds received from Yonex, a sponsor, as a 'payback' without following proper procedures.
On the 7th, Kim Taek-gyu, president of the Korea Badminton Association, was coming out of the arrival hall at Incheon Airport. President Kim, who accompanied the team to the Paris Olympics, returned earlier than the athletes. [Photo by Yonhap News]
According to materials secured by the Ministry and reports by Segye Ilbo, in 2023, the Association signed a sponsorship contract with Yonex that included a kind of 'payback side agreement' where they received an additional 30% of the cost of shuttlecocks used in tournaments. The shuttlecocks sponsored by Yonex were used in the Badminton Korea Promotion League (BK5), the youth and junior club competition called the I-League, and national public projects such as girls’ badminton classes. Approximately 20,000 shuttlecocks were used, and according to the agreement, the cost of 6,000 shuttlecocks was allocated to the Association. With each tournament shuttlecock priced at 17,900 KRW, shuttlecocks worth 358 million KRW were used in tournaments, and the Association received an additional 107.4 million KRW worth of equipment as payback.
The 30% payback received from Yonex was not recorded in the Association’s accounts, and President Kim reportedly used these funds without following procedures. An insider from the Association revealed that this issue was also raised at a recent board meeting. The insider said, "At the 90th board meeting held last February, concerns about the payback were raised," adding, "There was even a comment that 'In a world where selling leftover iron scraps from factories is problematic, transparency is now essential.'"
However, "President Kim reportedly became angry, saying, 'There have been no problems so far, so why can’t I handle this as I please?'" the insider claimed. He continued, "Last year, the payback was 30%, but until 2022, there was a side agreement to receive 40%. It is regrettable that this practice, which is customary in national public projects, lacks transparency." Furthermore, the insider alleged that President Kim favored organizations and regional tournaments where his close associates were involved by funneling these goods to them.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is also aware of these issues. A ministry official stated, "We have received various reports regarding the payback and are currently verifying the facts," adding, "If it is clearly revealed that there was a payback clause in the sponsorship contract, that it was not recorded in the accounts, and that the Association’s assets were used arbitrarily by the president, it could become a serious problem."
Meanwhile, President Kim was elected through the first-ever direct election after the founding of the Badminton Korea Association in January 2021. Originally from a 'recreational sports enthusiast' background, Kim initially did not involve himself much in the elite sports sector of the Association, but gradually began to engage in elite sports as well, eventually gaining full authority and reportedly becoming more authoritarian. His term lasts until 2025.
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