Over 70 Reports Received on Corruption and Bribery in the Sports Sector
Jin Jong-oh, a member of the People Power Party and former Olympic shooting gold medalist, raised suspicions on the 9th that the Korea Shooting Federation (Federation) did not pay prize money owed to athletes but instead gave performance bonuses worth tens of millions of won to its staff.
On the same day, Jin held a mid-term press conference at the National Assembly for the 'National Report Center for Sports Corruption' and announced that they had received over 70 reports of sports-related corruption, including association corruption, bribery, sexual violence, and match-fixing.
He stated, "There was insufficient verification during the appointment process of the new president of the Korea Shooting Federation, which led to issues such as non-payment of athlete prize money," adding, "Several reports related to fraud and corruption have been received from the office chief and within the office."
Previously, former Federation president Shin Myeong-ju abruptly resigned last month over the issue of 'staff wage arrears.' At the time of his appointment, Shin had promised sponsorship funds that were not paid, resulting in approximately 380 million won in prize money, which should have been paid to athletes participating in the Paris Olympics, remaining unpaid.
Additionally, despite the non-payment of athlete prize money, the Federation reportedly paid tens of millions of won in performance bonuses to office staff without proper procedures or approval. Jin also mentioned reports of the former office chief's 'self-promotion' and suspicions of hiring irregularities.
Beyond the Federation, reports were also introduced regarding match-fixing allegations in Taekwondo at regional sports councils, embezzlement of public funds by a former president of the Korea Sports Council residing in Canada, and cases where middle school wrestling athletes were dispatched to track and field competitions without parental consent.
Regarding these various reports, Jin condemned them as "a shameful reflection of our society caused by the long-standing customs and corruption in the sports world," and stated, "These are issues that must be addressed to rebuild Korean sports based on common sense and justice."
He added, "We will root out corruption and malpractice in the sports world and take full responsibility to ensure that the sports community can be reborn through this opportunity."
Meanwhile, Jin has been receiving reports related to sports corruption since independently establishing the 'National Report Center for Sports Corruption' on the 12th of last month.
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