Badminton association chairman vows to address concerns of Olympic champion An Se-young

Kim Taek-gyu, president of the Badminton Korea Association, arrives at Incheon International Airport on August 7. Kim accompanied the team to the Paris Olympics and returned for the athletes. Yonhap

Association President Agrees with Need to Scrap Outdated Rules and Practices

By KTimes

Kim Taek-gyu, chairman of the Badminton Korea Association, has vowed to address and reform the unfair practices and systems within the national team that were exposed by 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist An Se-young.

In an interview with Yonhap News on Tuesday at the World Badminton Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 500 Korea Open in Mokpo Gymnasium, South Jeolla Province, Kim said: “We need to eliminate outdated practices from the previous generation. For example, we need to revise the regulations for national team selection, sponsorship and contracts.”

He said that “making the athletes’ experience with the national team more comfortable is the top priority.”

The rules Kim mentioned needing revision were exactly the issues An raised. After winning her gold medal at the Paris Olympics, An said: “Isn’t it too harsh to tell a player he can’t play in the Olympics just because he quits the national team?”

Currently, retired national team players are only allowed to compete in international competitions if they are over 27 (women) and 28 (men). Rule A should be changed.

She also indicated that she would like to see financial rewards through badminton become more accessible, even without sponsorship deals. She said: “I hope they don’t restrict sponsorship and contracts so much.”

This highlights the unfairness of the current guidelines for national team management, which require players to use uniforms and equipment specified by the federation and to actively participate in promotional activities when requested to do so.

Kim Taek-gyu, chairman of the Badminton Korea Association, answers questions from reporters at Incheon International Airport, August 7. Yonhap

Reform depends on consensus

In addition, the Korea Business Badminton Federation’s rules stipulate that rookie contracts for high school students must last seven years, with a signing bonus of up to 100 million won ($76,000) during that period and a first-year salary of up to 50 million won, with an annual increase of up to 7 percent until the third year.

Kim responded to these concerns by saying, “For An Se-young to say such things even after winning a gold medal, she must have harbored deep resentment. Although I don’t have much time left in my term, I will do my best to reform the system. We will look into all the points An raised.”

However, he also noted the need to cooperate with other sports organizations, saying: “We have to remain consistent with the general direction of the member organizations of the Korea Sports & Olympic Committee. That is not something I can decide alone,” he said.

He said that whether through the National Assembly, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism or the Korean Sports and Olympic Committee, “if consensus is reached on these issues, reforms should follow.”

Regarding the national team’s head coach, Kim Hak-kyun, Kim said: “When you manage dozens of players and coaches, you need different qualities, but maybe there was too much personal bias. I also wonder if the team was managed with a focus on only Olympic athletes and if the communication with the top players was really smooth.”

An Se-young, the women’s singles badminton gold medalist at the Paris Olympics, waits for the start of an event honoring the Olympic delegation at a hotel in Seoul on Thursday. Yonhap

Responses to other allegations

When asked about the lack of sponsorship from the association’s directors, he said: “This can be solved by including a clause in the association’s statutes requiring directors to make a contribution.”

He acknowledged the lack of effort to attract external sponsors, saying: “When I joined the association, most of the sponsors were already established. Now we need to find sponsors who are willing to contribute more.”

Kim also addressed several allegations, including the claim that the association received an extra 30 percent of shuttlecocks through a backdoor deal when they purchased them with government money. He explained: “These were received as sponsorship items and at that time we received a legal interpretation from a lawyer who stated that there were no issues.”

As for allegations that he received bribes from a company that produces commemorative items, he denied the claims.

However, he admitted that he had raised his voice at staff, saying: “I was wrong to shout. If I hurt anyone with my words, I must apologise.”

He said his attempts to manage the association were being hampered by figures from the elite sports community.

“The elite sports figures covered my eyes and ears. Not once did my opinions prevail during board meetings,” Kim said. “As a result, it was not until An Se-young’s remarks that this ‘incompetent president’ became aware of the players’ discomfort.”

He also said that the accusations against him arose from internal divisions following An’s outspoken comments.

“We don’t have time to discuss what needs to be improved based on An Se-young’s comments, but the elite sports community continues to show no interest and only criticizes. Instead, it is time to present alternatives,” he said.

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