Korean Olympic Committee, Sub-Commission Clash Over Election Process

Only days before the vote to pick the new head of the Korean Olympic Committee, a sub-commission under the KOC has "accused the nation's top sports body of trying to influence the election," according to the KOREA HERALD. The KOC's board of directors last Friday named Kim Young-chae the new head of the Athletes' Commission. Under the KOC rules, the "head of that particular commission has a vote in the KOC presidential election scheduled for Friday." Former head of the Korea Judo Association Kim Jung-haeng and ruling party lawmaker Lee Elisa will square off in Friday's election. Lee had been the head of the Athletes' Commission, "but she resigned from the post." But after the KOC named Kim Young-chae as Lee's replacement, members of the commission "pointed out that their new head has ties with Kim Jung-haeng's camp" and the decision to give her a vote in the KOC election would "adversely affect impartiality of the vote" (KOREA HERALD, 2/18).