[Reporter’s Notebook] Yoo Seungmin Controversy Highlights Need to Revise Sponsorship Regulations

The scene at the "2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics Winter Sports Cooperation Meeting" held on March 31 at Olympic Parktel in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

Representatives from seven winter sports, including ice skating, skiing and snowboarding, and biathlon, all voiced the same demand: "To achieve good results at the Olympics, the current 210 days of training must be increased." However, increasing the number of training days would require a corresponding increase in government funding.

Yoo Inchon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, remarked, "During the Lee Myungbak administration, it cost an additional 3 billion won to increase the number of training days by 30." Smiling, he added, "Since there are a few (corporate) presidents among our federation members, perhaps they could help with the costs of adding 30 more training days." This prompted laughter at the scene, and Minister Yoo also laughed, saying, "I was only joking." It was a moment that was both funny and sad?a so-called "wupun" (a Korean portmanteau of 'funny' and 'sad').

Yoo Seungmin, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, is delivering his inaugural speech at the 42nd President Inauguration Ceremony of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee held on the 27th of last month at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Yonhap News

Under the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, there are a total of 83 member sports organizations, including 64 full members such as the Korea Football Association and the Korea Archery Association. However, few of these organizations are financially stable. For this reason, it is an open secret in the sports community that business figures who can support the association's finances are often preferred as presidents of sports organizations over former athletes.

The case of Chung Monggyu, chairman of HDC Group, who secured a fourth term as president of the Korea Football Association in February with an overwhelming number of votes despite various controversies, clearly illustrates this trend. In the past, it was also common for influential politicians, who could help secure budgets, to serve as presidents of sports organizations.

Yoo Seungmin, who has been president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee for less than two months, has also become embroiled in controversy over actions taken during his previous tenure as president of the Korea Table Tennis Association.

The Sports Ethics Center, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced on April 14 that it would recommend disciplinary action against former and current executives and staff of the Korea Table Tennis Association for the improper payment of incentives related to sponsorships and donations. Yoo is among those subject to disciplinary action.

During his tenure, Yoo established a new incentive policy that awarded 10% of the funds raised for the association's development fund as incentives to the staff who secured them. The Ethics Center pointed out that this violated the association's bylaws, which stipulate that "executives may not receive remuneration."

Yoo stated that he was unaware of this regulation and maintains that he did not personally benefit in any way. Whether he intentionally violated the rules or gained any personal benefit will be determined through further investigation.

However, some have pointed out that, given the poor financial state of many sports organizations, the current regulation that absolutely prohibits incentive payments is out of touch with reality. While the Ethics Center asserts that "it is only natural for part-time executives to attract sponsorships without compensation," this view seems disconnected from the actual operating conditions of these organizations.

Yoo has also expressed the need to revise the relevant regulations. He stated, "Most organizations are in such poor financial shape that the president must actively seek out sponsorships. I believe it is time to review and revise these regulations."