The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee has been embroiled in yet another controversy this week, following remarks made by its secretary general concerning a serious incident involving a middle school boxer.
The case dates back to September last year, during a boxing event in Seogwipo, Jeju, where the student was making his debut in the 57kg division. The young fighter reportedly absorbed multiple heavy blows to the head before collapsing early in the second round. Referred to in the media as “Student A,” he remains in a coma despite undergoing emergency brain surgery shortly after the incident.
The incident has highlighted significant shortcomings in the safety protocols and emergency response systems of the Korea Boxing Association. The family alleges that critical time was lost due to mismanagement during the transfer to hospital.
“There are frequent injuries in boxing, yet there was no emergency ambulance on standby—only a private one,” the boy’s mother told Yonhap News Agency. “My son showed clear signs of brain trauma immediately, but the ambulance lost its way and stopped at every traffic light, taking 30 minutes to reach the hospital.”
Reports indicate the journey should have taken approximately 17 minutes.
KSOC Secretary General Kim Na-mi, who initially offered support towards the family, sparked backlash after a recent interview with a media outlet. “The child had no chance from the beginning. He is already brain dead. Now, the probability of him waking up is…” The KSOC official also made remarks alluding to organ donation, saying, “We really don’t want to compare it to that, but someone died in an accident at a marathon, and their family donated their organs.”
The insensitive comments were not well-received by the public, and as outcry and controversy grew, the KSOC held an emergency meeting to take action. KSOC President Ryu Seung-min, who was abroad attending the Sanya Asian Beach Games, decided to cut short his schedule and return home. He later emphasised the principle of athlete protection and stressed that trivialising athletes’ lives and safety cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. The governing body has initiated disciplinary actions, and Kim was suspended on Friday.
“We express deep regret regarding the content of the secretary general’s interview recently reported by the media, and we sincerely apologise to the athlete and family who have been deeply hurt by this incident, as well as to the public who felt disappointed. The inappropriate remarks made during the secretary-general’s interview cannot be justified for any reason. We gravely recognise this as a very serious matter that betrayed our responsibility as a public institution tasked with prioritising the protection of athletes’ lives and safety,” KSOC said in a statement.
The governing body is still recovering the public trust after its former leadership was investigated over embezzlement and illegal hiring practices, resulting in disciplinary actions from South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and attracting concern from the International Olympic Committee. Ryu’s election last year was expected to bring in a new era; however, the Olympic chief also faced scrutiny over his previous post in the table tennis association.
