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🇰🇷 South Korea /Crime & Justice

Sports groups slam police for dropping Yoo Seung-min embezzlement probe

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Sports civic groups criticized the police for dropping an investigation into alleged embezzlement by Korea Sports Promotion Foundation Chairman Yoo Seung-min.
  • The groups argued the police's decision to not proceed with the case, citing insufficient evidence, effectively absolved a "sports cartel."
  • Police concluded that Yoo did not act with intent to embezzle regarding incentive payments and that his actions in changing national team selections were within acceptable social norms.

Sports civic groups have sharply criticized the police for concluding their investigation into alleged embezzlement by Korea Sports Promotion Foundation Chairman Yoo Seung-min without charges. The groups argue that the police's decision to drop the case, citing insufficient evidence, amounts to giving a free pass to a "sports cartel."

At a press conference outside the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seoul, the Sports Civic Solidarity and Munhwa Yeon-dae stated, "We cannot accept the police's decision to not proceed with the case for all suspects." They demanded that politicians, who are debating the scope of reinvestigation rights, provide an answer regarding the police's findings, which they believe have effectively granted immunity to the sports community's entrenched system.

We cannot accept the police's decision to not proceed with the case for all suspects.

— Sports Civic Solidarity and Munhwa Yeon-daeExpressing dissatisfaction with the police's conclusion of the investigation into Yoo Seung-min.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Financial Crime Investigation Unit had been investigating allegations that Yoo embezzled funds during his tenure as chairman of the Table Tennis Association. A complaint was filed last year, citing that Yoo created and operated an incentive system that awarded 10% of sponsorship funds, with an associate receiving 169.2 million won ($125,000 USD) in incentives for funds directly secured by Yoo. The complaint also pointed to Yoo's alteration of the national team selection lists for the 2022 Tokyo Olympics.

However, the police concluded that the incentive system did not involve any intent to embezzle. They stated that bank records showed no transfer of incentive payments from the recipient to Yoo. Regarding the national team selection changes, the police determined that Yoo's actions, including conveying opinions through the Performance Enhancement Committee chair and requesting reviews or rejections, were not beyond what is considered socially acceptable and did not constitute an abuse of power to obstruct business.

The police's investigation results have effectively granted immunity to the sports cartel.

— Sports Civic Solidarity and Munhwa Yeon-daeCriticizing the police's handling of the embezzlement allegations against Yoo Seung-min.
DistantNews Editorial

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

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