DistantNews
🇰🇷 South Korea /Sports

Korea Sport & Olympic Committee Apologizes for Secretary-General's Remarks on Comatose Boxer; Pledges Support

From Hankyoreh · (4m ago) Korean Critical tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Korea Sport & Olympic Committee (KOC) has apologized for inappropriate remarks made by its secretary-general regarding a junior boxer's coma.
  • The KOC promised to support the athlete's recovery and review its communication and internal management systems.
  • A junior boxer fell into a coma during a competition in September last year, and the KOC's investigation found deficiencies in safety management and emergency response by the Korea Boxing Association.

The Korea Sport & Olympic Committee (KOC) finds itself in a deeply regrettable situation, forced to apologize for the insensitive and frankly callous remarks made by its secretary-general concerning a young boxer who remains in a coma. The KOC president, Yoo Seung-min, has personally apologized to the athlete's family and pledged full support for the athlete's recovery, acknowledging the gravity of the situation and the need for empathy.

There is no value more important than an athlete's life and safety, and comfort and empathy must come first in any situation.

— Yoo Seung-minPresident of the Korea Sport & Olympic Committee, expressing regret and promising support for the injured athlete.

This incident is particularly galling given the circumstances. The young athlete has been in a coma since September last year after a match at the President's Cup Boxing Tournament. An investigation by the KOC itself revealed significant shortcomings in safety management and emergency procedures by the Korea Boxing Association. Yet, instead of offering unwavering support, the KOC's secretary-general made comments that suggested the family might be seeking financial gain and dismissed the athlete's chances of recovery.

I felt so bad, as if the mother was trying to make a fortune from the accident.

— Kim Na-miSecretary-general of the KOC, making inappropriate remarks about the athlete's mother, which were later apologized for.

From our vantage point at Hankyoreh, this is not just a failure of communication; it's a failure of basic human decency and a betrayal of the trust placed in sports organizations to protect their athletes. The KOC's initial promise of full responsibility, followed by attempts to distance itself and the secretary-general's offensive remarks, paints a picture of an organization struggling with accountability. We believe that the KOC must go beyond apologies and implement concrete measures to ensure athlete safety and provide genuine support to those injured in sports. The public expects better from a body that governs national sports, and this incident falls far short of those expectations.

The child had no chance from the beginning. He is already brain dead.

— Kim Na-miSecretary-general of the KOC, making insensitive comments about the athlete's condition.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog