Jang Chaehwan, National Archery Athlete, Issues Apology
Controversy Over Violation of National Team's Duty to Maintain Dignity
"Sorry for Fueling Left-Right Conflict... Posts Will Be Deleted Soon"
Jang Chaehwan, a national archery athlete who recently became embroiled in controversy over far-right views after claiming election fraud in the presidential election, has issued an apology.
On the 17th, Jang posted on his social networking service (SNS), saying, "I feel too pathetic to remain silent, so I am writing this," and added, "Originally, since I am from Jeonnam, I had a center-left political inclination."
He continued, "However, when former President Yoon Suk Yeol declared the 12·3 Martial Law, I looked into what happened at that time. My personal conclusion was that, for the future of the Free Republic of Korea, it is right to speak out from a conservative right-wing perspective rather than a center-left one," and explained, "I posted about the circumstances of election fraud because I wanted to inform people about the current situation."
He went on to say, "Since I am not a first-tier national team member but a second-tier one, I didn't consider myself a public figure." He added, "Since it is stated that nobody shall be discriminated against in any area of political, economic, social, or cultural life based on gender, religion, or social status, I thought it would be acceptable to express my personal political views." In another post, Jang said, "I apologize for causing social controversy and fueling conflict between the left and right," and added, "I have decided to delete the posts soon, as I believe they could harm the Korea Archery Association and those involved in archery."
Jang Chaehwan, a national archery athlete, posted an explanation on social networking services (SNS) after right-wing posts became controversial. Screenshot of Jang Chaehwan's thread
Previously, Yonhap News reported that Jang had posted multiple far-right messages on Instagram around the time of the 21st presidential election held on June 3. He uploaded a photo of his hand stamped twice with a voting seal against the backdrop of a polling station notice, writing, "Voting is real voting, no manipulation. Make the abnormal normal. Block communist forces, eradicate communism."
He also posted an image announcing the confirmation of President Lee Jaemyung's victory, writing, "China = early voting manipulation = Jeolla Province = National Election Commission, a crazy collaboration. Our North Korea, come quickly~ Our China, thank you, don't let US forces in Korea leave." In addition, Jang posted several Reels suggesting that the recent presidential election was fraudulent and the results were manipulated, and followed far-right accounts on SNS. After these actions sparked controversy, Jang deleted all problematic posts and set his account to private.
Jang's repeated posting of far-right content as a national team member has been criticized as a violation of the "duty to maintain dignity" stipulated in the Korea Sports Association's "Regulations on the Selection and Operation of National Representatives." According to the regulations, national athletes must "refrain from actions that damage the dignity of the national team and strive to be national representatives whom the public can be proud of." A Korea Archery Association official who reviewed the matter stated that national team athletes have been cautioned regarding their use of SNS.
Jang became a national team member this year through the selection trials held in March, but failed to place in the top four in the final evaluation round among national team members, and therefore will not participate in major international competitions.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
