After winning the Paris Olympic gold this year, An Se Young revealed that she had long faced bullying from senior players and expressed dissatisfaction with the Korean Badminton Association, even threatening to leave the national team. Following the public outcry, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Korea announced today the results of its investigation into the matter, calling for the resignation of Badminton Association President Kim Jeok Kyu and unveiling a series of reform measures.
In a press conference today, the Ministry detailed its findings, indicating that the Association failed to follow proper procedures when purchasing shuttlecocks, accepted sponsored goods worth 150 million KRW improperly, and allegedly claimed subsidies in violation of regulations during event hosting. Consequently, the Ministry has requested police intervention to investigate potential corruption and misconduct. The investigation also revealed workplace bullying by Kim Jeok Kyu within the Association, with 17 out of 18 employees reporting ongoing mistreatment.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism issued an ultimatum to the Badminton Association, emphasizing that this is the final chance to correct their errors. If issues persist, management will be replaced, and relevant funding suspended. However, Korean media note that the authority to remove the Association President lies with the Korean Sports & Olympic Committee, not the Ministry.
Throughout the investigation, the Ministry gathered feedback from 36 players, aligning with An Se Young’s grievances. In response, the Ministry proposed 26 reforms across five major areas.
The Ministry intends to improve recovery conditions for injured players, allowing them to choose medical facilities independently. National training center players will now be allowed to go out on weekends and holidays, and unreasonable requirements for younger players to handle cleaning and laundry will be abolished. Early morning and mountain training will also be eliminated, giving players flexibility to tailor their training schedules.
The Ministry will also lift the restrictive rule that previously required badminton players to have five years of national team experience and reach age 28 for men or 27 for women before they could compete in international events independently.
In response to An Se Young‘s comments that the Association has prioritized doubles players, the Ministry plans to increase the coaching staff for the national badminton team from 13 to 20, assigning coaches based on the unique needs of singles and doubles players. Moving forward, the Ministry will also allow players to wear apparel and shoes with their personal sponsors’ logos, rather than limiting them to the Association’s sponsored brand.
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