Kim Taek-gyu, president of the Badminton Korea Association, responds to questions from lawmakers at a full session of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee, Sept. 24. Yonhap
Following a comprehensive two-month investigation into the Badminton Korea Association (BKA), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced a series of reforms and called for the dismissal of BKA President Kim Taek-gyu over multiple alleged violations.
This is part of the ministry's efforts to address the grievances raised by badminton star An Se-young after her gold medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics in August, committing to correct long-standing issues and outdated practices within the association.
Triggered by An's concerns, the ministry began inspecting the BKA on Aug. 12, examining issues including the association's management of the national team, systematic improvements, subsidized projects and workplace harassment allegations involving the president, as stated during the ministry's progress report briefing on Sept. 10.
Thursday's briefing served as the final report of the investigation, promising decisive action against the association's officials for their "irregularities committed over time."
Lee Jung-woo, director-general of the ministry's sports bureau, directly called for Kim's removal, citing subsidy mismanagement violations during the briefing at the annex of the Government Complex Seoul.
"We have asked the Songpa Police Station to investigate subsidy violations linked to Kim, who also faces accusations of embezzlement and breach of trust. Kim should be dismissed and the secretary-general of the BKA should receive severe disciplinary action," Lee said.
The ministry has already requested the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) to submit its opinion on the subsidy violations as a preliminary step for recovering misused funds. The estimated amount to be reclaimed from the BKA comes to 9 billion won ($6.52 million), with a final amount to be determined after a Subsidy Misappropriation Review Committee assessment.
The sports ministry also revealed that it reported Kim on Monday to the relevant authorities under the Labor Standards Act for alleged verbal abuse, profanity and demands for excessive courtesies during a BKA workshop in April.
Lee Jung-woo, director-general of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's sports bureau, speaks during a final report briefing over the ministry's inspection of the Badminton Korea Association at the Annex of Government Complex Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
Beyond enforcing disciplinary measures, the ministry announced new policies to support national team players, incorporating feedback from An and other badminton players. These updates include improved injury management, expanded medical services, enhanced living conditions at training centers, customized training programs and access to personal trainers.
To empower athletes to make their own health care decisions, players will be allowed to receive treatment from a facility of their choice. Medical facilities at the national team's official training center will also be expanded to accommodate this change.
The sports ministry further committed to addressing what An described as "outdated practices" in national teams. Moving forward, athletes will have more freedom on weekends and holidays, and a long-standing tradition that assigns household chores to junior players will be eliminated.
In addition, the KSOC's policy requiring early morning training four times a week and twice-monthly mountain climbing, implemented in April 2023, will be effectively discontinued, allowing each team to determine its own training schedule.
The ministry will also allow national athletes across all sports, including badminton, to bring personal trainers to national training sessions. National badminton players returning from international competitions will be guaranteed a rest period before resuming training.
Star badminton player An Se-young competes in a preliminary match at the 105th National Sports Festival held at the Miryang Badminton Stadium in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, Oct. 9. Yonhap
The ministry will remove long-standing restrictions on international competition participation, a unique rule previously enforced by the BKA. Athletes may now compete in international leagues and invitational tournaments at their own expense or with support from their teams. A policy restricting international competition eligibility for athletes based on age and national team experience will also be eliminated.
Sponsorship terms for players will also change to enhance their rights. Athletes will be able to choose their own equipment, such as rackets and shoes, and display one of their personal sponsors' logos on national team uniforms, a right that will be guaranteed among five sponsor logos permitted on uniforms.
The selection process for national doubles badminton players will be revamped to remove subjective evaluations and establish an objective, merit-based assessment.
"Strengthening national team support and correcting unfair practices are clear improvements that should have been implemented sooner. We apologize to the athletes for the delay. Athletes in other sports should feel free to voice concerns, which we will address and resolve," Lee said during the briefing.
"This is the BKA's last chance to set things right. If it fails again, we will designate it as unable to self-regulate and appoint a management committee to dismiss all officials and suspend all funding except for athlete support."