"This World's President Is Me"... What Is the Position of Sports Organization Head? [Curiosity Lab]

Sports Organization Leaders Like Sports Council and Football Association Election Heating Up
Unpaid Honorary Positions Require Personal Expenses but Carry Presidential-Level Prestige

The elections for heads of sports organizations are heating up. Most heads of sports-related associations serve as unpaid honorary positions. In some organizations, the head must pay special membership fees or use personal funds to support the organization. Despite being unpaid and requiring personal expenses, the reason many compete to become heads is that the status of the 'honorary position' itself is equivalent to that of a president in their respective fields. This is why the current most attention-grabbing position, the President of the Korea Sports Council, is called the president of the sports world, and the President of the Korea Football Association is referred to as the football president.

Candidates for the President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. Provided by the Sport & Olympic Committee

◆ The Two Major Elections: President of the Sports Council and Football President Draw Intense Attention

The next President of the Korea Sports Council will be elected on the 14th at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul, by 2,244 voters. Six candidates have entered the race: current President Lee Ki-heung, former Gangwon Province Sports Council Secretary-General Kim Yong-ju, former Korea Table Tennis Association President Yoo Seung-min, Seoul Sports Council President and Black Yak Chairman Kang Tae-seon, Korea Sepaktakraw Association President Oh Ju-young, and Dankook University Honorary Professor Kang Shin-wook (listed in order of candidate number). The Korea Sports Council is a comprehensive organization overseeing sports and Olympic affairs in South Korea, formed by the merger of the former Korea Sports Council, the Korean Olympic Committee, and the Korea Sports for All Federation. It has 58 affiliated sports organizations, 17 city/provincial sports councils, and 17 overseas branches under its umbrella. Its annual budget exceeds 400 billion KRW.

A variable factor is the provisional injunction request submitted to the Seoul Eastern District Court by 11 delegates of the Korea Sports Council, including Lee Ho-jin, President of the Korea Ice Hockey Association, seeking to halt the Sports Council presidential election. They explained the reason for the request, stating, "The election is held for only 150 minutes, which is a tight schedule compared to other elections, making it difficult for voters in rural areas to participate, potentially compromising fairness."

Exterior view of the Football Association building Photo by Yonhap News

The Korea Football Association presidential election faced a setback due to a variable. Originally scheduled for the 8th, the court on the 7th accepted a provisional injunction request filed by candidate Heo Jeong-moo to halt the election. On the 30th of last month, candidate Heo filed the injunction against the Football Association, claiming the election was being conducted unfairly and requested a suspension. The next president's term begins on the 22nd, so the election must be held before then. The Football Association is a massive organization with over 150,000 players and coaches. Candidates for the presidency include current President Chung Mong-gyu, Shin Moon-seon, an invited professor at Myongji University's Graduate School of Sports Record Analysis, and former national team coach Heo Jeong-moo (listed in order of candidate number).

◆ First Contested Election for Judo President: Athlete-Origin Candidate Wins... Ice Skating Federation President Yoon Hong-geun Withdraws

The Korea Judo Association presidential election held on the 8th, contested by two candidates, resulted in the re-election of current President Jo Yong-chul. President Jo is a former athlete who won bronze medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Since 2005, he has served as Executive Director and Standing Vice President of the Korea Judo Association. In December 2020, he was elected as the 37th president running unopposed and has led the association for four years. This election was the first contested election in the history of the Korea Judo Association.

The Korea Skating Union has entered a new phase as President Yoon Hong-geun (Chairman of Genesis BBQ Group) announced he would not run for re-election. On the 8th, the Skating Union released a statement saying, "President Yoon Hong-geun has expressed his intention not to run in the next presidential election and extended his gratitude to the skating community for the past four years." President Yoon was elected unopposed in November 2020 as the 33rd president of the Skating Union. Although he submitted a letter of intent to register as a candidate at the end of last year, he ultimately decided not to seek re-election.

President Yoon stated, "The difficult skating community seems to have stabilized to some extent over the past four years through the efforts of the executive team and secretariat. I expect the new executive team to further develop our skating community. I will continue to support unpopular sports and young athletes." The next presidential election is likely to see figure skating athlete-turned-businesswoman Lee Soo-kyung, President of the Sambo Motors Group, running unopposed. The election date is set for the 24th.

Choi Seon-won, President of the Fencing Association (from the left), Jo Yong-chul, President of the Korea Judo Association, Lee Soo-kyung, President of Sambo Motors Group (candidate for President of the Skating Federation)

◆ Choi Si-won and Others Enter Unopposed, Securing Positions Without Competition

Some have secured their positions as heads of organizations without competition, either by running unopposed or by being endorsed. In the case of the Korea Fencing Federation, current President Choi Si-won ran unopposed and won a third term. President Choi, former Chairman of SK Networks, was elected as the 33rd President of the Korea Fencing Federation in March 2018 and has led the federation since then. During his tenure, Korean fencing won one gold, one silver, and three bronze medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At last year's Paris Olympics, they secured two golds and one silver medal. Notably, at the Paris Olympics, men's sabre fencer Oh Sang-wook became the first Korean fencer to win both individual and team events at a single competition. President Choi said, "We have developed a mid- to long-term project plan to advance Korean fencing beyond its history to the world stage, preparing for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics. We will also support the activation of sports for all, making fencing a sport loved by the public, and focus all efforts on sustainable and substantial development of Korean fencing."

Kang Hyung-mo, President of the Korea Golf Association. Photo by the Association

The Korea Rowing Association also saw current President Oh Se-moon run unopposed and win re-election. President Oh graduated from Chungju High School and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies with a degree in Trade. He is a businessman operating Simon Global Group and Korea Mutual Insurance Newspaper and became president through a by-election in 2022.

The Korea Mountaineering Federation elected Jo Jwa-jin, Chairman of DYPNF, unopposed. President Jo will lead the federation for four years from the 23rd until the regular general meeting in January 2029.

Yang Hae-young, a candidate from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), is the sole candidate for the presidency of the Korea Baseball Softball Association. No voting will take place; the election committee will decide Yang's election after qualification screening.

The Korea Golf Association's current President Kang Hyung-mo ran unopposed and was elected without a vote. President Kang, who chairs the Yuseong Country Club, was appointed as a director of the Korea Golf Association in 2004 and served as full-time vice president from 2013 to 2021. He was elected as the 20th president of the Korea Golf Association through a by-election in June 2023.

Kwon Oh-gap, Chairman of HD Hyundai and President of the Korea Professional Football League

◆ Kwon Oh-gap Nears Fourth Term... Badminton Association Presidential Election Also Underway

In the Korea Professional Football League Federation presidential election, current President Kwon Oh-gap, who also chairs HD Hyundai, has run unopposed, effectively securing a fourth term. President Kwon first became head of the Professional Football League Federation in 2013, was re-elected in 2017 and 2021, and was approved to run in the next election by the Korea Football Association's Sports Fairness Committee last month.

Han Sang-ho, President of the Korea Curling Federation, also ran unopposed last month and won re-election. Han is the first president to win re-election in the Curling Federation. The Badminton Association, which faced controversy triggered by An Se-young's candid remarks and was audited by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is preparing for a new presidential election on the 16th. Current President Kim Taek-gyu is suspended but has declared his candidacy. Other candidates include Kim Dong-moon, a 2004 Athens Olympics men's doubles gold medalist and professor at Wonkwang University, Jeon Kyung-hoon, President of the Korea Corporate Badminton Federation, and Choi Seung-tak, former President of the Daegu Badminton Association.

Actor Kim Seung-woo elected as president of the Little Baseball Federation. Photo by Asia Economy

◆ Actor Kim Seung-woo Takes on Presidency of the Korea Little League Baseball Federation

Actor Kim Seung-woo has become President of the Korea Little League Baseball Federation. Running as the representative of The Queen AMC, Kim won the presidency in a two-person race against current President Yoo Seung-an for a four-year term.

Kim Seung-woo graduated from Suwon University with a degree in Physical Education and has been active as an actor in the entertainment industry. He has also shown consistent passion for baseball as the owner of the celebrity baseball team 'Play Boys.' Kim said, "It is time for new changes in Little League Baseball, the future of Korean baseball. I will address issues such as player recruitment, administrative and institutional problems, and weakening international competitiveness to lead the leap forward of Little League Baseball."