Police drop case against KSOC chief Yoo Seung-min over bonus allegations

South Korean police have decided not to forward a case against Yoo Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), concerning allegations that he received performance bonuses through a nominee during his tenure as president of the Korea Table Tennis Association (KTTA).

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Financial Crime Investigation Unit announced on June 7th that they found no grounds to charge Yoo, along with Kim Taek-soo, head of the Jincheon National Training Center (and former KTTA vice president), and Jeong Hae-cheon, former secretary-general of the Korea University Table Tennis Association, with embezzlement or other related offenses.

Civic groups had accused Yoo of receiving performance bonuses for attracting sponsorships through a third party's name while leading the KTTA. The police investigated the circumstances under which Yoo's agency representative's sibling received 200 million won from the KTTA. However, they concluded there was insufficient evidence to prove Yoo had received the funds through a nominee. The police also found insufficient evidence for allegations of obstruction of justice related to the national team selection process involving Kim, as well as suspicions of personal use of sponsorship funds, including airline tickets from Korean Air, related to division league venue selection and U.S. league observation trips.