Warning from Ministry of Culture for False Achievements
Lost Cancellation Lawsuit... Judged as Agent's Mistake
"Served Diligently... Sorry for Causing Concern"
Soccer player Kim Jin-ya clarified his position after being embroiled in a controversy over alleged forgery of substitute service activities related to military service exemption.
On the afternoon of the 4th, Kim posted on his social media, "I apologize to soccer fans for causing concern due to an unfortunate incident," and stated, "Although it is regrettable that an issue has arisen regarding the morally sensitive matter of military service exemption, I have never exaggerated my volunteer activities." He explained, "Public service activities are carried out at institutions and organizations according to the plan submitted to the Korea Football Association. Photos are taken every 30 minutes using an app that records the date, time, and location, and these photos are attached to the confirmation documents submitted. Unless the photos are manipulated, it is impossible to falsify the performance records."
He continued, "After completing the service activities, I send the activity photos to my agent, who prepares, submits, and verifies the service activity confirmation," and added, "The agent made a mistake during the preparation of the confirmation document, and the problematic parts pointed out were corrected and resubmitted." He also stated, "However, the warning issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism remains valid, so I completed a total of 578 hours of service activities by December 31, 2023, which includes the mandatory 544 hours plus an additional 34 hours due to the warning."
Furthermore, he emphasized, "As I mentioned earlier, it is impossible to inflate service performance unless photos are manipulated, and I have diligently carried out service activities for 578 hours. Since I delegated the work to my agent, I take responsibility and will handle this matter with a sense of accountability going forward." He concluded, "I will be cautious in all matters to avoid disappointing soccer fans. Once again, I apologize and will show a good performance on the field."
Earlier, on the 4th, according to the legal community, the Seoul Administrative Court’s Administrative Division 12 (Presiding Judge Kang Jae-won) ruled on the 29th of last month that Kim’s lawsuit against the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism seeking cancellation of the warning related to public service as a sports personnel was dismissed. The court stated, "The plaintiff submitted false public service performance records, so the grounds for this disposition are recognized." Kim received the military service exemption benefit by undergoing four weeks of basic military training and then performing 544 hours of volunteer service in the sports field over 34 months. However, problems were found in the public service confirmation documents he submitted in November and December 2022. He was warned by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism last July for "submitting false public service performance records" and filed an administrative lawsuit requesting cancellation of the warning.
Meanwhile, Kim, born in 1998, is a member of K League club FC Seoul and graduated from Incheon Namdong Elementary School, Gwangseong Middle School, and Incheon Daegun High School. He became eligible for military service exemption after winning a gold medal as a member of the soccer team at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.
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