Professor Kim Dong-moon, a candidate for president of the Badminton Korea Association (BKA), has raised serious concerns about the fairness and transparency of the association’s presidential election process. Kim made his statements during a press conference held at the Korea Sports Association’s headquarters in Seoul on January 20.
Kim questioned the integrity of the election process, alleging that the BKA was conducting the election in an opaque and unfair manner. He cited delays and confusion caused by the association’s inexperienced administration. “We cannot shake the suspicion that the BKA is conducting the election improperly,” he said. “Employees of the association are wary of certain candidates, leading to confusion.”
The election, originally scheduled for January 16 at the Sunshine Hotel in Daejeon, was postponed after the Seoul Eastern District Court issued a provisional injunction. The court ruling came after it found that three members of the election management committee were unqualified, including individuals linked to political parties. This decision temporarily halted the election.
In response, the BKA reformed the election management committee on January 17 and set a new election date for January 23. The candidates for president include Choi Seung-tak, former president of the Daegu Badminton Association; Jeon Kyung-hoon, former president of the Korea Federation of Business Badminton; and Kim Dong-moon, a professor at Wonkwang University.
Kim accused the BKA of interfering in the election process and undermining its fairness. “The association failed to officially notify candidates and electors about the election’s delay,” he said. “Even when the new election date was confirmed for January 23, the announcement was made to the media only on the evening of January 19, leaving many in the dark.”
The BKA also failed to post the new election date on its official website, and some electors had not received the necessary information. Kim emphasized that this lack of communication had led to distrust among electors.
Additionally, Kim raised concerns about the composition of the electors. The BKA announced that only incumbent electors, as of January 23, would be allowed to vote. However, some electors lost their voting rights because their terms ended in the week leading up to the election. Kim argued that the election rules should allow all electors who were qualified as of the original election date, January 16, to vote, given the postponement was due to the BKA’s actions.
Professor Kim also expressed skepticism about the BKA’s extraordinary general meeting of representatives, scheduled for later in the day. The meeting would address election-related matters and could influence the outcome, as many electors are included among the delegates.
“The BKA’s interference with the election management committee has only made the process more chaotic,” Kim said. He also noted that the Election Commission had sent a notice to the BKA, emphasizing the importance of guaranteeing the independence of the election process, free from external pressure.
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