[Sports Seoul | Reporter Kim Yong-il] Secretary General Kim Nami of the Korea Sports Council, who drew public outrage for inappropriate remarks about a middle school boxer’s injury, has announced her intention to resign.
The Korea Sports Council told reporters on the 4th that “Secretary General Kim Nami has expressed her intention to resign and will take responsibility for the recent issues.”
Kim said, “I deeply apologize for causing concern to the public and to members of the sports community over this matter. I feel a heavy responsibility as a public official and will step down from my position.”
The council added that it recognizes the seriousness of the case and will review its systems to ensure athlete protection functions operate without gaps. It said it will focus all efforts on restoring public trust by reinforcing public-service ethics and tightening organizational discipline.
At the 55th President’s Cup national city-and-province boxing tournament last September, A, a third-year middle school student, collapsed during a match. He was taken to a hospital and has not regained consciousness. Police in Jeju, where the tournament was held, have named an official from the Korea Boxing Association as a suspect and are conducting an investigation.
In a recent interview with a media outlet, Kim said of A’s condition, “The child had no chance from the start. He’s already brain-dead. The chances of him waking up…”—a definitive medical judgment that went beyond what doctors had established. She also made an insinuation about organ donation, saying, “We really don’t want to compare, but in a marathon someone died in an accident and the family donated organs,” implying a similar outcome.
When the victim’s parents tried to record the conversation, Kim reportedly said, “I felt so offended, like are you trying to profit off your son’s situation?”
Such remarks are unacceptable coming from the secretary general who oversees the council’s operations.
Council President Yoo Seung-min, who returned early from an overseas trip after recognizing the gravity of the situation, invoked personnel rules on the 1st to take emergency action: he suspended all of Kim’s duties and authority and removed her from active roles within the organization.
Under council rules, disciplinary action against executives must go through the Sports Fairness Committee, and dismissal requires board review. Because those procedures take time, a staffing gap became inevitable. Members of the sports community had called for Kim to resign voluntarily; she announced her intention to do so three days after her suspension.
kyi0486@sportsseoul.com
