"'Declaring to run for the third term' Chairman Lee Ki-heung'"IOC is quite a concern...I feel like I'm going to go to the consultation stage with the government."

Nov 14, 2024

Chairman Lee Ki-heung leaving the airport

"The IOC (International Olympic Committee) was worried a lot. I felt that the IOC would have a consultation with the government."

Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the Korean Sports Council, who was notified of the suspension of his duties by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), mentioned the IOC's concerns in an interview returning to Incheon International Airport on the 13th.

Chairman Lee returned home around 5:35 p.m. on the 11th, when he was scheduled to appear as a witness of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, and attended the 「World Olympic City Association Sports Summit」. During the business trip, a sports fair committee was held to decide whether to challenge Chairman Lee for three consecutive terms, and the government, the National Assembly, and the Korean Sports and Olympic Committee were noisy throughout. On the 10th, the government's joint public service inspection team announced the results of a month-long investigation into the Korea Sports Association and asked eight officials, including Chairman Lee, to investigate allegations of irregularities such as fraudulent hiring of his daughter's friend, private use of sponsored items, and demand for sponsorship of goods (receiving money and other items). On the 11th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the suspension of Chairman Lee, who is being investigated for irregularities such as employment corruption and bribery under the 「Act on the Operation of Public Institutions」. However, on the 12th, the Sports Fair Committee of the Korea Sports Council approved Lee's qualification for a third consecutive term with the approval of more than half of the members present. Shortly before Chairman Lee returned home on the 13th, it was reported that the investigation into allegations of misconduct by Chairman Lee and others was allocated to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's anti-corruption investigation team.

Chairman Lee Ki-heung answering questions

Chairman Lee, who returned to Korea on the 13th, a day earlier than his original schedule, was the achievement of international diplomacy in Lausanne, Switzerland. After introducing the significance of the International Olympic City Council sports summit, justification for the reasons for not attending the National Assembly, discussions on hosting the 2036 Olympics (Jeonbuk, Seoul), and the results of discussions on nationality recovery, including the Korean name and English notation for 11 athletes, including the late Sohn Ki-jung, requested by Rep. Bae Hyun-jin (People's Power) during the parliamentary audit, Chairman Lee mentioned the IOC's concerns about government intervention. "There is considerable concern about the IOC's current domestic situation..." he argued. Chairman Lee said, "(The IOC) has been calling me since September about the controversial election (the president of the Korean Olympic Committee) or the autonomy of the (NOC). 'Since I'm a member of the IOC, I shouldn't have any more problems. I said, 'Please be quiet, it will work out on its own.' I said, but this time I went to (Lozan) and I was very worried. " "Now, I feel like I can't do it alone, but through a meeting at the IOC, I wonder if I will have a meeting with the government."," he added. Asked in a subsequent question-and-answer question whether the IOC will send letters to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Chairman Lee replied, `I don't know either. Since they said they'd discuss it, I think they'd listen to it after monitoring it," he replied.

Chairman Lee Ki-heung answering questions

Chairman Lee actively explained in a 21-minute interview back home, saying, `I can't even agree with 1%' on a series of allegations of irregularities, including fraudulent hiring, but he was extremely reticent about whether he would run for a third term and lowered the level of his remarks against the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Regarding the notice of suspension of the chairman of the sports association "That's... He said, "You have to go through the procedure and explain it because you may have different thoughts." When asked if he thinks the notice of suspension of duty is oppression, he said, "I will reserve the answer for now." "If I think carefully about the cause of the conflict (with the culture department), I am a person who values the field. We need to give opportunities to people in the field and create working environments and conditions to demonstrate the dynamism and creativity of our members, but we need to fix the domination in a one-sided and top-down way without giving them such opportunities. "People say that they fight, but this is not a fight. You have to 'get over it' to go into the future. for the next generation." "It's a difference of thought, not a fight," he reiterated.

Commenting on the IOC's concerns, President Lee said, `I will visit local sports associations, meet with sportsmen, meet with previous presidents, discuss with members and decide on my future course of action soon.'

Reporter Jeon Young-ji sky4us@sportschosun.com

sky4us@sportschosun.com