Yoo Seung-min, the 42nd President of the Korea Sports Council, emphasized change and the advancement of the sports community at his inauguration ceremony held on the 27th at the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
In his inaugural speech, President Yoo stated, "I believe this is a starting point for the sports community to leap forward together again," and pledged, "Although the sports community is currently facing a crisis due to various conflicts and incidents, I will turn this into an opportunity for change."
He continued, "I will gradually change everything in a way that can realize an environment where athletes can focus solely on training, a system where coaches can maintain professionalism and pride, a structure where sports organizations can become self-sufficient within a sustainable system, and a foundation where city, provincial, and district sports councils can grow in harmony with local communities."
Furthermore, he announced that he will do his utmost to support the athletes to achieve good results at various upcoming events, including the 2024 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and the Nagoya-Aichi Summer Asian Games next year. He also promised to actively prepare for the successful bid to host the 2036 Jeonbuk Summer Olympics.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly, Jang Mi-ran, 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as well as representatives from sports organizations, government, the National Assembly, local governments, national athletes, media, and sponsors. Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Ban Ki-moon, Chair of the IOC Ethics Commission, and Sermiyan Ng, IOC member, sent congratulatory messages via video.
President Yoo was elected on January 14th, defeating five competitors including former President Lee Ki-heung, who was seeking a third term. He began his duties at the regular general assembly held on the 28th of last month.
Prior to the inauguration ceremony, President Yoo presided over the first board meeting of the 42nd Korea Sports Council executive team. The 42nd executive team consists of 35 members, including President Yoo, five vice presidents, and 29 directors. The board approved the appointment of Secretary General Kim Nami and National Training Center Director Kim Taek-su, who were nominated on the 12th. They also approved the appointment of former Constitutional Court Justice Lee Young-jin as the new Chair of the Sports Fairness Committee for a two-year term until February 2027.
After the board meeting, President Yoo also expressed that a decision regarding the approval of Chung Mong-gyu, President of the Korea Football Association, will be made soon.
Despite various controversies, Chung Mong-gyu was overwhelmingly re-elected for a fourth term as the 55th President of the Korea Football Association on the 26th of last month, securing 85.7% of the votes (156 out of 182 valid votes). However, he has yet to receive official approval from the Korea Sports Council. President Yoo, who has emphasized a cautious approach, stated, "I think a decision regarding the approval of the Football Association President will probably be made soon."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
