The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has opened an investigation into the Korean Badminton Association following sharp criticism from 2024 Paris Olympics badminton gold medalist, An Se-young. Her remarks have highlighted concerns over the association’s practices, which are now under scrutiny.
The inquiry has already revealed outdated policies within the association, leading to growing calls for reform.
In a report released on September 10, the ministry’s interim findings showed that the association has been restricting players from securing individual sponsorships, forcing them to use equipment from official sponsors only. However, it was found that bonuses from these sponsors were not being properly distributed to the athletes.
The ministry has recommended scrapping regulations that prevent non-national team players from participating in international competitions and eliminating old rules requiring athletes to strictly follow coaches’ orders.
There are also allegations of misconduct against the association’s president, Kim Taek-gyu, and other top officials.
“Our goal is to fix these issues and ensure the association operates fairly and transparently,” a ministry official said during a briefing at the Government Complex in Seoul.
The investigation has already involved interviews with 22 of the 48 national team members, including An Se-young. The remaining players will be interviewed before the final report is released at the end of the month.
This inquiry comes after An Se-young called for a change to allow individual sponsorship deals. Currently, the association bans these deals, forcing players to use equipment provided by official sponsors, including key performance items like rackets and shoes.
Badminton and boxing are the only two Olympic and Asian Games sports in South Korea that maintain such strict equipment regulations.
Some players have expressed concerns that allowing individual sponsorships could reduce support for younger athletes. The ministry acknowledged that this issue may require further discussion, especially as lower-ranked players voice their concerns.
The investigation also revealed irregularities in the distribution of sponsor bonuses awarded for strong performances in international tournaments. Many players were unaware of the bonus contracts, and a clause specifying direct payments to athletes was quietly removed in April 2023.
Lee Jung-woo, the director-general of the ministry’s sports bureau, stated, “The players believe they received bonuses from sponsors before changes were made, but not properly afterward.”
Additionally, a provision granting 20% of total sponsorship funds to national team players as performance bonuses was removed in June 2021 without the players being informed.
The ministry is also working to remove restrictions that prevent non-national team players from competing internationally. Current regulations require athletes to have been part of the national team for at least five years and meet age requirements—28 for men and 27 for women.
Further allegations of financial misconduct have surfaced. Kim Taek-gyu, the association’s president, is accused of misusing sponsorship goods worth approximately 300 million won over two years. Several executives are also reported to have received 68 million won in incentives, in violation of association rules.
