Source:REUTERS/Susana Vera
[Saba Sports News] On the 22nd of this month, the Korean National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee held a national government inspection meeting, where Kim Taek Soo, the president of the Korean Badminton Association, appeared as a witness. During the meeting, Kim harshly criticized An Se-young, the gold medalist in women’s singles badminton at the Paris Olympics, for not greeting her seniors and coaching staff, accusing her of having a poor attitude and being a “self-righteous sports star,” with the intention of deliberately discrediting her. This move was met with strong criticism from members of the Democratic Party. Some members pointed out that An Se-young won the women’s singles runner-up at the Denmark Badminton Open and then returned to the world number one position without any guidance from the national team coaches, a fact even foreign media highlighted. As the president of the Badminton Association, he should have supported athletes in achieving good results, but instead, he belittled this athlete who has had a significant impact on Korean sports as a self-righteous sports star, severely damaging An Se-young’s image. Members spoke one after another, and the atmosphere of the meeting became very tense. Faced with the questioning from members, President Kim was left speechless and ultimately forced to apologize, expressing deep regret for causing trouble to the members and the public due to his inappropriate words and actions.