Kim Jae-yeol, president of the International Skating Union (ISU) and president of the Samsung Economic Research Institute, was selected as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). With the number of IOC members increasing to three, Korea will be able to exert greater influence in international sports diplomacy in the future.
The IOC held its 141st general meeting in Mumbai, India, on the 17th and elected eight new members, including Chairman Kim Jae-yeol. Chairman Kim Jae-yeol received overwhelming support with 72 votes in favor out of 73 valid votes in the vote to elect new members.
With this, Chairman Kim Jae-yeol became the 12th Korean to become an IOC member.
Lee Ki-heung, President of the Korea Sports Council, is speaking at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games settlement press conference held at a hotel in Hangzhou, China on the 8th. 2023.10.8/News 1 In addition, the number of active Korean IOC members increased to three, including Korea Sports Council President Lee Ki-heung, Korea Table Tennis Association President Yoo Seung-min, and Chairman Kim.
Yoo Seung-min, President of the Korea Table Tennis Association, is giving an opening speech at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Pyeongchang Asian Table Tennis Championships held at the Pyeongchang Ramada Hotel in Gangwon-do on the 2nd. (Provided by the Pyeongchang Asian Table Tennis Championships Organizing Committee) 2023.9.3/News 1Chairman Yoo Seung-min entered the IOC as an athlete member in 2016, and Chairman Ki-heung Lee entered the IOC as a representative of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) in 2019. Chairman Kim Jae-yeol became an IOC member as a representative of the International Federation (IF).
The first time three Korean IOC members served simultaneously was in the early 2000s, when the late Kim Un-yong (1986-2005), the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee (1996-2017), and former Doosan Group Chairman Park Yong-seong (2002-2007) entered the IOC. This is the first time since then.
IOC members are key figures who move the international sports world. It has enormous authority, including selecting the venue for the Winter and Summer Olympics and making decisions regarding the adoption of official Olympic sports. For this reason, he is treated like a state guest wherever he goes around the world.
Additionally, only a very small number of people can become IOC members. The maximum number of IOC members is 115, and consists of individual members (maximum 70 people), NOC representatives, IF representatives, and athlete members (maximum 15 each). Regardless of their qualifications, they all have the same rights and can exercise their right to vote.
The IOC members were 99, but 8 were added through this general meeting, bringing the total to 107.
Korea is one of the countries that has produced many active IOC members. According to the IOC, France has the most with four, and Korea has three along with Japan, China and Italy.
The more IOC members there are, the greater the influence will inevitably be in the international sports world. For Korea, it laid the foundation for strengthening its sports diplomacy position.
As President Yoo Seung-min’s term as athlete member ends next year, Korea may be reduced to two IOC members. However, if ‘golf queen’ Inbee Park, who ran as an athlete member representing Korea, is elected as an athlete member at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Korea will be able to retain three IOC members.
Meanwhile, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon congratulated President Kim Jae-yeol on the news of his election to the IOC, saying, “As an IOC member, I look forward to his outstanding performance leading the development of not only Korean but also international sports.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.