Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism demands dismissal of Badminton Association of Korea President Kim Taek-kyu
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism demands dismissal of Badminton Association of Korea President Kim Taek-kyu
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The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism today (Aug. 31) announced the final results of its investigation into the irregular practices of the Korea Badminton Association, which were exposed by Ahn Se-young at the Government Complex in Seoul.
The ministry, which assembled a team of investigators on August 12 and conducted an office inspection of the badminton association for more than two months, examined the management of the national team, institutional improvements, the implementation of auxiliary projects, and the alleged workplace harassment of the president.
Regarding the most controversial issue, the use of sponsored items by athletes in international competitions, the MOC decided to guarantee the right of athletes to use sponsored rackets, shoes, etc. in future international competitions after wearing the Korean flag.
Also, in response to revelations that Ahn Se-young did not receive proper treatment for her injuries during the Paris Olympics, the ministry will now allow athletes' personal trainers to participate in national training sessions, adding that this will apply to all sports, not just badminton.
“This will be allowed not only during training, but also during international competitions such as the Olympics and World Cup,” said Lee Jung-woo, director of the Ministry of Culture, 메이저사이트 Sports and Tourism. ”Personal trainers will be included in the national compulsory team for a limited time during the competition.”
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also announced plans to expand the medical treatment space in the Jincheon Athletes' Village and increase the number of physical therapists.
The ministry also said that it would improve the culture of living in the camp, allowing players to go out and stay overnight on weekends and holidays, and eliminating the culture of cleaning, laundry, and reporting when they go out.
As for Kim Taek-kyu, the head of the Badminton Association, who has remained lukewarm in resolving the situation despite numerous irregularities being exposed over the past two months, the government has demanded his dismissal for violating the Subsidies Act and has filed a report with the relevant authorities for workplace harassment.
In early April 2024, Kim was alleged to have used profanity and abusive language at a meal at the association's workshop and demanded excessive protocols, including driving, which the ministry said was confirmed by an investigation.
The ministry said, “I think this is the last chance for the association to correct its mistakes. If they don't fix it this time, we will consider them incapable of self-correction and will take extraordinary measures, such as appointing a management organization to dismiss all officers of the association and suspending funding for other budgets other than athlete support.”