An Se-young, who won the gold medal in women's singles badminton at the 2024 Paris Olympics, speaks to the press after returning to Korea via Incheon International Airport on Wednesday. Yonhap

Controversy is brewing over the Badminton Korea Association's national team management guidelines, which include a clause stating that "athletes must obey the instructions of their coaches."

This issue arose after An Se-young, the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist in women's badminton singles, who is part of Samsung Life Insurance's badminton team, openly criticized the association's management.

According to the "National Team Operation Guidelines" posted on the website of the Badminton Korea Association, the duties of national team athletes include "obeying the instructions and orders of the coach during both training and daily life within and outside the athletes' village" and "not skipping training or leaving the training grounds without the permission of the coach."

In contrast, the Korea Archery Association's national team management regulations specify that athletes' duties are limited to "following instructions related to performance improvement" and "complying with instructions for the protection of legitimate human rights and safety."

Rep. Kang Yu-jung, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee from the opposition Democratic Party of Korea, said, "Even in the military, the scope of orders that must be obeyed is limited to 'orders within the superior's duty.'"

Kang said the clause in the badminton association's regulations requiring athletes to follow all instructions and orders from coaches is "outdated and violates human rights." She called for the revision of these guidelines.

An publicly criticized the badminton association during a press conference held on Aug. 5, shortly after winning her gold medal.

She expressed her disappointment, saying, "I was very disappointed with how the national team handled my injury. I am starting to think that it might be difficult to continue with the national team after this moment."

In response, the association issued a statement on Wednesday denying the allegations.

"We did not force An Se-young to participate in any international competitions without considering her physical condition or ignoring her opinion on participation," it said.

The association also announced that it would conduct interviews with the national team coaching staff and An and establish a "fact-finding committee" to investigate the matter further.

An Se-young of Korea competes in the women's singles final against China's He Bingjiao for the Paris Olympics at Porte de La Chapelle Arena in Paris, Aug. 5. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.