The composition of the ‘Sports Fair Trade Commission’ that is reviewing the third reappointment of Lee Ki-heung, the chairman of the Korea Sports Council, is causing controversy over its unfairness. Since the Sports Fair Trade Commission, which makes the final decision on the chairman’s reappointment, includes Lee’s special aides and close associates, criticism is being raised that it is a ‘de facto rubber stamp review’. The Sports Fair Trade Commission is an organization that reviews the reappointment of the chairman and executives of the Sports Council and deliberates on disciplinary actions and rewards. It was launched the year after Lee took office in 2016. If a majority of the 15 members of the Sports Fair Trade Commission are present in January next year and a majority of the members present vote in favor, Lee will be successful in his third term. Rep. Park Jeong-ha, a member of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, pointed out that “the reappointment rate, which was 22% before Lee took office, has increased to 91%,” and “they have effectively been acting as rubber stamps for the chairman and his close associates.”
● Sports Fair Trade Commission launched immediately after Chairman Lee Ki-heung took office
An official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said, “It was originally the Legislation and Punishment Committee that was in charge of disciplinary action and regulations, but at the suggestion of the Sports Council, the name was changed to the Sports Fair Trade Commission, and it was given the responsibility of reviewing reappointments,” and “The term of office for the Sports Council president, which was originally two terms, was changed so that it can be served up to three times through the Sports Fair Trade Commission.” If more than 10 of the 15 Sports Fair Trade Commission members attend the meeting in January next year and more than half of them agree, the president will be successful in being reappointed for a third term.
According to Article 43 of the Sports Fair Trade Commission’s Articles of Association, the Sports Fair Trade Commission members are appointed at the general meeting, but if the general meeting decides, the authority to appoint can be delegated to the chairman. However, in this case, the chairman must form a recommendation committee that includes a majority (at least 3 out of 5) of outsiders. The purpose is to fairly deliberate on whether to extend the term, disciplinary action, and rewards, centered on outsiders.
However, it was revealed that many of the outsiders on the recommendation committee have a history of working for the Sports Council. According to Rep. Park Jeong-ha’s office, Mr. A, who was included in the recommendation committee for the second half of the 41st term that started in April of last year, is a former member of the Sports Council’s Future Planning Committee and a current Sports Council legal advisor. Mr. B was revealed to be a former member of the Sports Council’s International Committee and a current Sports Council committee member. Rep. Park Jeong-ha’s office criticized, “Of the six outsiders appointed since 20019, five had a history related to the Sports Council.”
● Special advisors and other close associates review the reappointment of the sports association president
According to Rep. Park Jeong-ha’s office, from 2017, when the Sports Fair Trade Commission was established, a total of 239 chairmen and executives have been subject to reappointment review, and only 20 of them were rejected in the review. In effect, 91% passed and were reappointed. In 2016, before the establishment of the Sports Fair Trade Commission, the pass rate for the Executive Review Committee was only 22%, but it skyrocketed to 91% after Chairman Lee took office.
The problems with the reappointment review process have also been pointed out often within the Sports Fair Trade Commission. According to the minutes of the 52nd meeting in 2020, “Last year, we had one rejection, and this year, there are almost no rejections, so it seems to have become a formality. If you do it four times in 2012 and 2016, the sports organization will become yours.” Then, the chairman of the Sports Fair Trade Commission responded, “Good point,” and passed the agenda, ending the meeting. At the 2017 meeting of the Sports Fair Trade Commission, there were internal criticisms such as, “Since the introduction of the Fair Trade Commission system, more than 90% of the reappointments have been approved. If the conditions are met, is it okay to reappoint for 5, 6, or 7 terms?” and criticisms were raised that “the system has been ineffective from the beginning.”
Rep. Park said, “Not only is the reappointment pass rate a problem, but even the deliberation criteria for reappointment were meaningless, such as readjusting the quantitative and qualitative evaluation scores.” He added, “It is unbelievable that this is happening in a public institution that receives 450 billion won in taxes annually.”
Reporter Kim Seong-mo [email protected]
-
- great
- 0dog
-
- I’m sad
- 0dog
-
- I’m angry
- 0dog
-
- I recommend it
- dog
Hot news right now
2024-09-24 04:10:34