An Seyoung Was Right... Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Says "Competition Restrictions Should Be Lifted and Individual Sponsorship Allowed"

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Interim Briefing on Association Investigation
Immediate Recommendation to Abolish 'Player Submission' Rule

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that it will push for the abolition of the Badminton Korea Association’s regulation that restricts non-national badminton players from participating in international competitions. On the 10th, the ministry held an interim briefing on the investigation of the association at the Seoul Government Complex annex and reported that it also recommended abolishing the association’s regulation requiring national team players to obey orders. Earlier, following 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist An Se-young’s candid remarks about the association and the overall management of the national team, the ministry launched an investigation into the association’s regulations and executive corruption.

After 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist An Se-young (22, Samsung Life) made candid remarks about the overall management of the association and the national team, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which launched an investigation, announced that it will push for the abolition of the Badminton Korea Association's regulation restricting non-national team badminton players from participating in international competitions.
[Photo by Seo Dong-min, Asia Economy]

At the interim briefing, the ministry stated, “Out of 48 national team players, we have heard the opinions of 22 so far, and all players expressed a desire to use the equipment they prefer, such as rackets and shoes, which have a sensitive impact on their performance.” Currently, the Badminton Korea Association forces players to use sponsor-provided equipment. Not only uniforms but also items that directly affect the body, such as shoes and rackets, are mandated, which caused dissatisfaction from An Se-young.

The ministry also pointed out the current regulations of the Badminton Korea Association. The association currently stipulates that “only retired national team players who have made significant contributions to the development of badminton in Korea may participate in international competitions approved by the Badminton World Federation.” Furthermore, it specifies that “this applies to players who have been active on the national team for five years or more, with age limits set at 27 years or older for women and 28 years or older for men.”

Lee Jung-woo, Director of the Sports Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is giving an interim report on the audit of the Badminton Association's office and subsidy inspection on the 10th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno, Seoul. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has launched an investigation into various allegations surrounding the Korea Badminton Association.
[Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@]

Regarding this regulation, the ministry said, “Among the 44 Olympic and Asian Games sports in Korea, there is no other sport like badminton that restricts non-national players from participating in international competitions,” and added, “The majority of national team players hope for the abolition or relaxation of the restrictions on international competition participation.” The ministry stated, “Since this excessively restricts the freedom to engage in one’s profession, we will push for its abolition.” Additionally, the ministry recommended abolishing the clause in the national team operation guidelines that states “players must obey the instructions of coaches.”

Furthermore, the ministry said, “The players’ duties include ‘obeying the instructions and orders of coaches during life and training inside and outside the training camp,’ and disqualification criteria include ‘those who disobey the legitimate instructions of the association,’ with sanctions imposed for violations,” adding, “Although this regulation officially was abolished in the sports community after the late Choi Sook-hyun incident, it still remains. We strongly recommend its immediate abolition.”

Possibility of Embezzlement and Breach of Trust by Badminton Korea Association President Also Pointed Out

In the briefing, the ministry also pointed out the possibility of embezzlement and breach of trust by Kim Taek-gyu, president of the Badminton Korea Association, who has been implicated in so-called “payback” allegations. In particular, regarding allegations that President Kim misappropriated sponsor goods, the ministry stated, “In 2023, the president and the chairman of the joint project promotion committee verbally concluded a contract to supply sponsor goods without the knowledge of association staff while purchasing goods, receiving goods such as shuttlecocks and rackets worth 150 million KRW,” and added, “This year, the president and the association’s secretariat led the signing of a written contract to receive sponsor goods worth approximately 140 million KRW.” The ministry criticized the association for distributing the sponsor goods received in this manner without official procedures, stating, “Last year, the chairman of the joint project promotion committee arbitrarily allocated quantities by region, and goods worth about 40 million KRW were distributed to the Taean-gun Badminton Association, which the chairman belongs to.”

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism pointed out the possibility of embezzlement and breach of trust regarding Kim Taek-gyu, the president of the Badminton Association, who has been accused of the so-called 'payback' in this briefing. In particular, President Kim stated that "in 2023, under the leadership of the president and the head of the joint project promotion committee, goods were purchased, and a verbal contract for the provision of sponsored goods was secretly made without the knowledge of the association staff, resulting in the receipt of goods worth 150 million won, including shuttlecocks and rackets." He added, "This year, the president and the association's secretariat led the signing of a written contract to receive approximately 140 million won worth of sponsored goods from the sponsor."
[Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@]

The ministry said, “There is also a possibility of embezzlement and breach of trust,” and added, “Since a complaint against the president has already been filed with investigative authorities, we plan to provide additional investigation results as reference materials for the investigation once completed.” Additionally, the ministry confirmed that about 16 million KRW was paid to an accounting firm where the association’s auditor serves as CEO for bookkeeping and tax adjustment purposes. The ministry stated, “The guidelines for managing government subsidies prohibit transactions with companies operated by executives and employees,” and added, “We plan to take disciplinary actions such as cancellation of subsidy decisions, orders for subsidy returns, and imposition of penalty surcharges for violations of the Subsidy Act.”