Physical education is a life for Kang Shin-wook (69), a candidate for president of the Korea Sports Council.
When he was a student, Kang used to play in soccer competitions as a representative of his school. When he was in middle school, he played in a short but thick baseball team. When he was a student at Seoul National University, he played hockey.
After graduating from college, Kang became a physical education teacher. Kang was a physical education teacher and coach of the hockey department at Jeonnong Girls’ Middle School. Since 1989, he has been a professor of international sports at Dankook University and has been striving to nurture his younger students. After retirement, he was appointed as an honorary professor at Dankook University.
Candidate Kang is not reluctant to work on something that can contribute to the development of the sports world.
Candidate Kang served as co-representative of the Sports Citizens’ Solidarity (2005-2013), president of the Korean Sports Association (2016-2017), and director of the Korean Sports Association (2017).
“Morality is a fundamental element for a sports chief who receives a monthly salary from taxpayers’ money. Chairman Lee Ki-heung defamed his dignity when he was reappointed as the head of the Korean Sports and Olympic Committee
Candidate Kang’s voice was energized.
Kang Shin-wook, a candidate for chairman of the Korea Sports Council, said, “It is still difficult to understand that the Sports Fair Committee allowed Chairman Lee Ki-heung to serve a third term.”
Q. The Sports Fair Committee of the Korea Sports Council has approved the qualification of Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the Korea Sports Council, for a third term.
The Korea Sports Fair Committee divides the quantitative and qualitative evaluations into a 50-50 ratio. The quantitative evaluation (50 points) is divided into the entry into executives of international organizations (10 points), financial contribution (10 points), soundness of group operations (10 points), attendance at the board of directors (10 points), reward status (5 points), disciplinary action, and personal crime (5 points). In the qualitative evaluation (50 points), the efforts, plans, and possibilities for the election of an international organization’s executive account for 20 points.
There may have been two key points in allowing Lee to serve a third term. One is his financial contribution. Another is how much he has contributed to international sports diplomacy. Lee is an incumbent member of the International Olympic Committee. This position would have been of great help. I would have respected Lee if the committee had decided on his eligibility for a third term in line with strict principles. There would be no problem.
It should be viewed from the public’s perspective. It is true that Chairman Lee Ki-heung’s decision to serve a third term in office makes one tilt his head.
Q. Is there a specific reason for making your head tilt.
The Korean sports community relies heavily on the national budget. It is no different from the Korean Sports Council. Chairman Lee Ki-heung is the head of the Korean Sports Council. Morality is fundamental to the core of the world as the head of the sports community who receives salaries from taxpayers’ money. Chairman Lee Ki-heung defamed his dignity by serving two consecutive terms as the head of the KOC.
This is why the people think that the fairness of the Sports Fair Committee has been undermined. I also think that ‘Chairman Lee Ki-heung has severely undermined his dignity as the head of the Korean Sports Council’. Not only athletes but also the people are watching. It is hard to understand that the Sports Fair Committee allowed Chairman Lee Ki-heung to serve a third term.
Q. The composition of the sports fair committee that approved Chairman Lee Ki-heung’s third term for a second term also makes me tilt my head once again. Chairman Kim Byung-chul and 15 other members of the committee were all appointed by Chairman Lee Ki-heung. Did candidate Kang Shin-wook expect the committee to approve Lee’s third term for a second term.
I’ve long believed that Chairman Lee Ki-heung would pass if he was reviewed by the Sports Fair Commission for a third consecutive term. It was fully expected since the formation of the Sports Fair Commission was made with the appointment of Chairman Lee Ki-heung.
Q. On November 10, the government’s joint inspection team for public service in the Cabinet Office asked Lee to investigate on charges of fraudulent hiring, forcing him to sponsor goods, and using sponsored goods privately. The decision was made two days later on the 12th by the Korea Sports Fair Trade Commission. In particular, the qualitative evaluation criteria included “ethics and integrity as an executive.”
Some in the sports community said, “Couldn’t Chairman Lee Ki-heung fail to serve a third term?” Due to public anger or loss. I didn’t think so. I didn’t expect anything at all. Because the composition of the sports fair committee says it is composed of people who can protect the chairman no matter what. To put it plainly, it is composed of people who can protect him no matter what.
Q. Recently, many people in the sports community say that fairness has been undermined, which is the most important thing in the sports fair committee. There is no reason for the existence of the sports fair committee without fairness. What do you think needs to be repaired in order for the sports fair committee to be reborn as an organization worthy of its name.
The Sports Fair Committee is not just a place that deals with Chairman Lee Ki-heung’s decision to serve a third term as a president of the Korea Sports Council. It deals with many issues in the sports world. For example, it decides on consecutive terms and rewards and penalties for the chairmen of various sports organizations. However, if the intentions and wills of the chairman and executives affect the decision process, it is not the Sports Fair Committee. The Sports Fair Committee should definitely be reorganized into an independent organization.
Q. Chairman Lee Ki-heung has denied all charges. He is confident. He has also officially decided to seek a third term as the chairman of the Korea Sports Council. Is it because he is not at fault for being confident despite numerous charges and suspicions? Where do you think the reason lies.
A similar thing happened at the end of the Park Geun Hye administration. At that time, the government seemed to be intervening in the election of the chairman of the Korean Sports Council. Lee Ki-heung, then candidate for the chairman of the Korean Sports Council, moved to an “anti-government frame” by confronting former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Cho Yoon-sun and former Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Jong. That’s how he won his first position as the chairman of the Korean Sports Council.
Again, Chairman Lee Ki-heung is facing the government. But the situation is completely different. The government is not trying to appoint a new chairman to the Korean Sports and Olympic Committee. We asked the government to investigate and investigate various allegations of misconduct by Chairman Lee Ki-heung. The government is doing what it is supposed to do because the public is angry about Chairman Lee’s third term in office.
If the government keeps its eye on Chairman Lee Ki-heung for a third term despite various suspicions, wouldn’t that be an even bigger problem? The government drops a large amount of budget every year to the KOC. The budget to the KOC is money that contains the people’s blood and sweat. We should not let this go. Even if the government is unjust
Q. Why is candidate Kang Shin-wook trying to run for the second consecutive election for the president of the Korea Sports Council.
I have been involved in sports all my life. I have lived my whole life believing in the value of sports. What is the value of sports? Everyone pays as much as he or she sweats. If you believe in the sweat you shed and fight, you will face just results according to fair rules. But the sports that I have believed in is collapsing. It is broken. It is criticized by the people.
Ahn Se-young took great courage to point out the problems in the sports world. What hurts the most is that there are a lot of problems in the sports world in addition to what Ahn pointed out. Someone has to correct it. It is urgent to solve problems according to the principle and come up with measures to prevent recurrence. I think my life in the sports world guarantees that I am the right person to do this.
Q. Candidate Kang Shin-wook has repeatedly mentioned the word “people.” However, the election for the president of the Korea Sports Council is not held through a referendum. It is an election in which sportsmen make the president of the Korea Sports Council. Even if it does not meet the public’s expectations, anyone who benefits the lives of sportsmen can become the head of the association. What do you think about the current election system.
Any election should be fair. Any wrongful intervention or problematic areas should be blocked thoroughly. The current election system is very advantageous to the incumbent chairman Lee Ki-heung. For example, the sports association has heads of organizations with voting rights, so-called chairmen. Chairman Lee Ki-heung has no restrictions on communicating and facing them. There is a huge difference in the time to form a consensus while talking compared to other candidates.
Q. Does the president of the Korea Sports Council have the right to make a budget that can be dropped off to sports organizations.
The KOC executes the budget in the form of a project. The budget is not directly allocated. However, take a look at this case. A project to build an alternative facility for the Taeneung International Skating Center is underway. With the listing of the royal tomb of Joseon as a World Heritage Site, the Taeneung International Skating Center will be demolished in 2027. This is the project to build the KOC International Skating Center. It is a big project that requires about 200 billion won in state funds.
From December last year to February this year, local governments across the country conducted a contest to select sites for alternative facilities. A total of seven submitted applications to host the event. After going through the first and second rounds, the final announcement should have been made in the first half of this year. However, the KOC delayed and postponed the selection process, citing the parliamentary elections in April and the Paris Olympics in July and August. Nothing has changed.
Do you know what the sports community is talking about? What the sports community commonly says is, “If you select a site, you will lose six places. I think it can affect the election of the president of the Korea Sports Council.” In the end, they will select a site after the election of the president of the Korea Sports Council.
Q. As far as I know, the voting center for the upcoming election for the chairman of the Korea Olympic Committee will be set up only in the Olympic Hall. Don’t you have to come to the Olympic Hall on the day of the election, no matter where you live? Multiple sources in the sports community point out, “This election system is also very advantageous for the incumbent.”
I disagree a little bit. I don’t think it’s necessarily favorable to the incumbent when the polling place is in the Olympic Hall. However, when I heard from the sports community, they said, “The ballot box can’t go to the provinces.” It’s very inconvenient. Many athletes have raised objections, but they are not accepted. What is the clear reason why voting in 17 cities and provinces cannot proceed? I haven’t met anyone who explained this in detail yet.
Q. During the last election, mobile voting was carried out due to COVID-19.
It is believed that mobile voting is an early 機尙早. The advantages are clear. Election polls will become very convenient. However, various suspicions and misunderstandings can arise. For example, suspicions arise that sportsmen gather together to conduct mobile voting. We believe that it is right to block such suspicions and misunderstandings in advance.
Q. Do you intend to change the election system if you are elected as the chairman of the Korea Sports Council.
Of course. I don’t know where and how much I will need to repair it. The election system can’t be changed just by thinking of the president of the Korea Sports Council. If you are elected as the president of the Korea Sports Council, you need to communicate and discuss with more athletes than you do now. Through such communication process, I want to make an election system that can be trusted more than now. Elections must always be fair and transparent.
Why is candidate Kang Shin-wook against the “minimum education system”? “The scene is not prepared at all.”
Q. I understand that candidate Kang Shin-wook is against the student-athlete ‘minimum education system’ implemented by the Ministry of Education.
The minimum academic background system. It started with a very good intention. A student is a student before a player is a student. It is natural for a student to study. However, the gap between reality and reality is bigger than you think. It seems like one if you listen to the voices of the field. Academic performance alone determines whether you can participate in a competition or not. Korea’s top prospect may not be able to participate in a competition or achieve his dream of becoming an athlete because of his academic performance.
I think the minimum education system should be reserved or abolished. No matter how good my intention is, if it cannot be reflected in reality, I have to change it. From the moment the minimum education system was introduced, similar voices came out from the field. If you listen closely, it is more like a scream, “Help me achieve my dream.” How long are you going to turn a blind eye? I think it’s a big mistake to turn a blind eye.
Q. I mentioned abolishing the minimum education system. That means we need to increase the number of hours for student-athletes. Then, what kind of education should they receive outside of school hours.
I have been a member of the church all my life. I disagree with the opinion that a student-athlete should receive a special education. It should go through the same curriculum as ordinary students. You have to grow in the same curriculum. A student-athlete should not have special treatment. Public education should always be fair.
I’m not saying that the minimum education system should be withheld or abolished, but that “student athletes don’t have to take classes.” Students can exercise in the same way as they do now. However, the burden on school grades should be reduced.
One of the essential functions of education is protection. Schools protect students. Schools are the only places where students who are responsible for the future of Korea can mingle, study and exercise. There are student-athletes and parents who say this. “Don’t you think it’s okay to focus on your exercise and get educated in your spare time? Since you don’t have to get educated at school, you can just fill in the gaps that you lack in other places.” That’s a very fragmentary idea.
The protection I mentioned earlier is not just physical protection. It is a comprehensive meaning where you can receive education, achieve physical growth, and develop social skills in a place where safety is guaranteed. There is a reason why humanity has continued the educational institution called school.
Schools also have the ability to select social roles in the classroom. Some people study, others use their physical education, art, and music. Classrooms are places where you can learn and experience various roles in society.
Q. Let’s take a look at it from the standpoint of favoring the “minimum education system.” Korean athletes used to exercise four times a day in the past. They train at dawn, morning, afternoon, and night. They only exercise, excluding sleeping hours, out of 24 hours. It was natural for all student-athletes to spend the day like that. Let me be realistic. Since there is also a “minimum education system,” isn’t it possible for students to take classes and show interest in their studies.
That makes sense. I also agreed to a large extent when the first ‘minimum education system’ came out. The problem is the field. On the field, they say, ‘Please don’t limit the opportunity to challenge yourself to achieve your dreams.’ The beginning of the introduction of the ‘minimum education system’ was, ‘Let all students take classes.’ However, if academic performance is not followed, there is a problem that will have a big impact on the future.
It’s great to combine academics with athletics. Of course it is. However, what a student-athlete needs when they go to an unemployment team is an outcome such as a prize. Without the outcome, they will never achieve their lifelong dream. The idea is that this problem needs to be corrected as soon as possible. To sum it up, the “minimum education” system is never bad. There are so many problems in the field that they need to change.
Q. The president of the Korea Sports Council is the head of the Korean sports community. Exercise is not just for elite athletes. Physical education is very important for ordinary students, too. There are plans for physical education in schools.
If I become the chairman of the Korean Sports Council, there is something I really want to do. The history of exercising in middle and high school or of being a member of the sports department should be reflected in the college entrance exam. This is the case with entrance examinations in the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and China. The history of exercising in school is reflected in the college entrance exam. I think reflecting the experience of physical education in school is a realistic way to save school sports. It will be the beginning of revitalizing school sports.
Q. Kang Shin-wook has spent his whole life in education. He seems confident in solving a long-standing challenge by revitalizing physical education in schools.
Physical education, education, is my life partner. I have experienced both teachers and professors. I have helped many students grow. I have communicated with many educational administrators. I am proud that I know the reality of physical education in Korea better than anyone else.
The reason why candidate Kang Shin-wook calls for “revitalizing local sports associations and improving the treatment of leaders.”
Q. When Kang Shin-wook ran for the 41st KOC presidential election on Jan. 18, 2021, he emphasized “revitalizing local sports associations and improving the treatment of leaders.” Why.
Four years have passed. The problem has become even more serious. We need to revive the local sports association. Why did you separate the local sports association from the local government and make it a popular election system? It means ‘to separate sports or sports from politics’. There was a problem from this process. We should have decided what to do with the budget and then separated it. But we only separated the group.
I don’t know what has changed. More than 20 percent of 228 sports associations in cities, counties, and districts across the country are struggling. Chairman Lee Ki-heung said, “We will save local sports associations.” Look at the reality. The local sports association is collapsing. I will do everything in my power to help local sports associations achieve financial independence without receiving budget from local governments.
If I am elected as the chairman of the Korean Sports Council, I will be the first to start legislative activities to expand the budget of the local sports council. It is a problem that is not expected to be very confrontational in politics. We will work together to save the local sports association.
Another thing I emphasize is the improvement of the treatment of leaders. Among them, the treatment of leaders who participate in school sports and daily sports is very serious. The seriousness of the problem gets worse the further away from Seoul. Listening to them makes me feel so bad. A sports leader with one year of experience and a sports leader with 10 years of experience have similar salaries. A 20-year-old sports leader doesn’t make a big difference.
As you build up your career, you should be treated a little better. The salary system should be applied to sports leaders. Otherwise, the exodus of competent leaders will intensify. Many leaders are still moving to other professions for their livelihoods. Quite a few people do more than one job for their dreams. I want to create a system where sports leaders can be recognized as professionals in Korea.
Q. I understand that candidate Kang Shin-wook also agonized over the treatment of judges.
Improving the treatment of referees is one of my major pledges. On the spot, I encountered difficulties faced by referees. What is urgent is securing job security, realistic allowances and strengthening of professionalism. No matter what the sport is, the game cannot be played without referees. Referees are the core of creating a fair sport. Such referees make a living through two jobs. Most of the judges in the sports world engage in two jobs other than their main jobs.
The current standing referee system is a short-term contract. Employment security is significantly lower. Referees need to be able to focus on their main job to maintain their professionalism. They need to take measures to complement them. They need to be properly compensated for their expertise and annual leave. Reasonable compensation based on experience is natural. The Korean Sports and Olympic Committee will provide systematic education so that referees can continue to develop. They will also spare no support for qualifying as international referees.
There is another one. In the current process of allocating referees, there is a constant lack of transparency. We will strengthen fairness by introducing an algorithm-based allocation system. Through a system that comprehensively reflects referees’ career, game difficulty, and fairness, unfair allocation controversy will be prevented. We will create a sports world where referees can be recognized and respected for their expertise.
Q. In the Korean sports community, it is common to see some former athletes as leaders based on their achievements as athletes. It is important to create an environment in which a person who has thoroughly prepared himself can become a leader even if he or she is not a former athlete.
I think the Korean sports community is moving in that direction. Just as former athletes are moving toward not only leaders but also administrators. If you look at the leadership training process in various sports, it is much more systematic than in the past. It is common for non-athletes to become leaders in the field of sports for all. I see some cases where they gain experience and then become administrators and executives.
Korean sports organizations and universities are constantly fostering good leaders and administrators. The problem is not fostering, but deployment. Every year, sports leaders pour out. There are a lot of people who have fostered it, but there is no place to place it somewhere to gain experience. I think it will be of great help in solving this problem if the physical education and school sports mentioned earlier are activated. In particular, if physical education activities in school have a great influence on entrance exams, more competent sportsmen will be trained.
Q. I also mentioned the ‘monetization business’ while announcing my candidacy for the election of the president of the Korea Sports Council.
I don’t think I can say clearly right now. I’m preparing. Anyone can say a plausible story. In the past, would the heads of the KOC not want to go about the KOC’s monetization business? Everyone tried, but they ran into a wall in reality and failed to produce significant results. The KOC is a non-profit corporation. It has limitations in actively engaging in profitable businesses.
However, I think the 카지노사이트 Korean Sports Association should create a basic structure to make money on its own. We need to let them know the beginning. In short, I would like to create a structure that can contribute to the development of Korean sports by establishing a separate independent corporation. It’s something I’ve been working hard on for 3-4 years.
Q. The prevailing view is that reorganization is essential no matter who is elected as the chairman of the KOC. If Kang Shin-wook is elected as the chairman of the KOC, how will the KOC organization be reorganized.
If I am elected as the president of the Korean Sports Council, I have three committees that I really want to make. They are the local sports committee, the leadership committee, and the parent committee. I will make these three committees for sure. To solve the problem of local sports, we need to hear the voices of those who have worked in the local sports community. This is the beginning of solving the problem. The same goes for the leadership committee and the parent committee.
The committee exists. It needs to be activated. No one knows the reality of the Korean sports world better than the athletes. If you want to provide a better athletic environment for your athletes, you should listen to them. I am the president of the KOC
