The organizing committee for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games added 28 new members, including Olympic athletes and cultural figures, to its executive board on Monday. Seven women were added, "apparently in response to a push by the International Olympic Committee calling for more female representation'' (JAPAN TIMES, 3/17). ... The South Korean government announced on Monday it will seek to award three medalists from the Sochi Winter Olympics the most prestigious national order of merit in sports, "in an apparent attempt to assuage critics of its revamped qualification requirements for the honors" (YONHAP, 3/17). ... Korea Skating Union Vice Chair Jeon Myeong-gyu resigned from his post Monday, "amid controversy over the way the skating body picks athletes for the Olympics." Although he technically reported to KSU Chair Kim Jae-yul, Jeon "had been considered the most powerful individual in the organization, wielding a considerable influence in management and the process of selecting athletes for international events" (KOREA TIMES, 3/17). ... Taekwondo secured its status for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. World Taekwondo Federation President Choue Chung-won now claims that booking a spot in the 2020 Paralympics "would be equally critical for taekwondo’s global acceptance." The Int'l Paralympic Committee put para-taekwondo and badminton on a shortlist for the 2020 Paralympics over seven other sports on March 6 (KOREA TIMES, 3/17).
