Yoo Seungmin, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, Pushes for Direct Presidential Election System

Yoo Seungmin, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, has expressed his determination to change the method of electing the committee's president to a direct election system.

According to Yonhap News on May 16, Yoo emphasized the need to introduce a direct election system that would grant voting rights to all members of the committee in an interview conducted on the same day.

He stated, "The fundamental goal is to represent the voices of all members of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, to embrace diversity, and to increase the sense of responsibility among candidates running for president."

Yoo Seungmin, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee [Photo by Yonhap News]

Currently, the president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee is elected through an electoral college system. Yoo pointed out that in the presidential election held in January, when he was elected, only 1,209 out of 2,244 delegates?53.8%?participated in the vote. He stressed, "We must guarantee the right of participation to all members of the committee."

After being elected as the 42nd president on January 14, Yoo launched the Sports Organization System Reform Committee in April and appointed Kim Daenyeon, former Secretary General of the National Election Commission, as its chairperson. After about a month of activity, the reform committee decided to move toward a comprehensive expansion of voting rights.

The reform committee has reportedly established the principle of "one person, one vote" for all members registered in the committee's athlete registration system?including athletes, delegates, and staff?based on the four fundamental principles of democratic elections: universal, equal, direct, and secret suffrage. If this plan is implemented, a total of 328,000 people?the size of the electorate in the 42nd presidential election?would be able to exercise their voting rights directly.

The committee plans to gather a wide range of opinions regarding election system reform going forward. It will revise the committee's articles of association and election management regulations, and, after discussions with regional sports committees and member sports organizations, intends to hold public hearings on election system reform for sportspeople in September and October.