-Lee Ki-heung, Chairman of Korea Sports Center
Separation of’Sports Association-Korea Olympic Committee’ promoted by the government
“There was no public opinion convergence,” said Chairman Lee, carrying the’commission’
Tears for joy, tears for regret as they travel around the stadium and athletes’ village…
Because of the always congested eyes, players even nicknamed’Crybaby’
Lee Ki-heung (66), Chairman of the Korea Sports Council, is reappointed. Chairman Lee was elected at the 40th sports venue election in October 2016, and took over as the first integrated sports venue that was united by the Korea Sports Association and the National Sports Association. On the 18th of last month, he was re-elected in the election of the 41st sports venue, leading Korean sports for four years until 2024.
Chairman Lee was a high school graduate and self-made. He is an honorary doctor in physical education at Yongin University and an honorary doctor in philosophy at Dongguk University, but his final education was expelled from Korea Communications University. Chairman Lee established Woosung Industrial Development, a civil engineering company, in 1985, after serving as secretary to President Lee Min-woo of the New Democratic Party, which was the opposition party in 1985.
In 2001, when he took office as Vice Chairman of the Korean Modern 5th Class Federation, he made a relationship with the sports world.He served as the Chairman of the Korea Canoe Federation in 2004, the Vice Chairman of the Sports Association in 2009, the Chairman of the Korea Swimming Federation in 2010, and the Vice Chairman of the Sports Association in 2013. And in 2019, he became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Chairman Lee has a clear conviction. I am not from Gyeonggi-do, but I am strong. If it doesn’t make sense, you will face it, and you won’t be shaken. Following the recommendation of the Sports Innovation Committee of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in August 2019 to separate the Athletic Association and the Korea Olympic Committee (KOC), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism promoted the separation in September last year.
Chairman Lee strongly opposed the separation policy. It was because he believed that it was not right to separate the sports club and KOC due to the one-sided promotion of the government and politics. In particular, since there was no process for collecting public opinion from sportsmen within the sports world, Chairman Lee and the sports community were opposed. The separation eye once sank below the surface of the water. It wasn’t easy to put a brake on the government and politics, but Chairman Lee did not hesitate to stop the’commission’. And he turned the flow that was going in the wrong direction.
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| ▲ Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the Korea Sports Association, is looking at exercise equipment at the physical training ground in Jincheon Athlete’s Village in Chungbuk. yunhap news |
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| ▲ Lee Ki-heung (right), chairman of the Korea Sports Council, embraces North Korean officials during the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. yunhap news |
Of course, it is not unconditionally opposed. After the re-election was confirmed, Chairman Lee said, “There is only a disagreement with (government),” he said. “We just have to talk enough to find a reasonable plan.” The IOC charter prohibits the government and politics from intervening in sports, and violations of this will result in severe disciplinary action, such as suspension of participation in international competitions and suspension of qualifications for sports organizations.
Chairman Lee makes a strong impression because of his determination. But the inside is very soft. When you talk, you feel like a friendly neighborhood uncle. It is not an external lumen, but an inner lumen and external gangs (內柔外剛). So I am meticulous and meticulous. In particular, he gives warm affection to the players.
An episode of the 2012 London Olympics who was the leader of the team. Chairman Lee woke up at 4:30 a.m. local time at the time and thoroughly checked the national athletes for injuries, physical condition, and meals until well past midnight.
The authority was thrown to the ground, and by listening to and encouraging the players’ concerns, they encouraged morale. At that time, there was a blister on Chairman Lee’s feet, which made it a hot topic. As he traveled the stadium, he shared joys and sorrows with the players. Crying for joy, crying for excitement, crying for regret, crying for regret. He shed tears every day, and his eyes were always red and red, and the players gave him the nickname’Crybaby’.
Chairman Lee was also the leader of the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, and the Korean team ranked second overall with 76 gold medals, 65 silver and 91 bronze medals. At the London Olympics, 13 gold, 9 silver, and 8 bronze were ranked 5th overall, the best grade in 24 years since the 1988 Seoul Olympics (4th overall). The dedication of player Ki-heung Lee and the propaganda of the national team have harmonized the Korean team’s national prestige on the stage of large international sports.
Chairman Lee was a’saving pitcher’ at the London Olympics. At the time, there were twists and turns, and Chairman Lee was urgently assigned as the athletes leader about four months left until the opening of the Olympics. He empowered the squad with generous support and quickly stabilized the pain and achieved more than expected. In 2018, the PyeongChang Winter Olympics team was created as the sports venue, and the goal of hosting the Winter Olympics and being ranked 7th overall was met.
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| ▲ Lee Ki-heung (right), Chairman of the Korea Sports Council, is giving a greeting before the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics torch. Newsis |
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| ▲ Lee Ki-heung (left), Korea Sports President, is in conversation with Thomas Bach, Chairman of the IOC. Provided by Korean Sports Association |
Chairman Lee was elected as the 11th Korean IOC member in June 2019. Chairman Lee, 66 years old this year, became a member of the IOC as chairman of the National Olympic Committee (NOC), and his retirement age is 70. At the time of the nomination of the new IOC member candidate, Chairman Lee recommended himself, and there was controversy that it was’self-recommended’, but he was elected as a member of the IOC after thorough document verification by the IOC and through difficult gates such as the Ethics Committee, Recommendation Committee, and Executive Committee. President Lee was elected as an IOC member at the 134th IOC General Assembly in Lausanne, Switzerland, with overwhelming support of 57 out of 62 valid votes and 92%. The only NOC representative qualifications that can run as IOC members are the president and vice president. At the time, Vice-Chairman Choi Moon-soon, Gangwon Governor Chung Mong-gyu, President of the Korea Football Association, and Kim Seong-jo, President of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Culture and Tourism Organization (the then president of the Korea Sports University) considered the application for the IOC, so the only candidate to run was Lee.
Chairman Lee moved the national athlete’s village to Jincheon as the head of the athletic meet, successfully held the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and smoothly handled the business related to the 100th anniversary of the athletic meet (2020). After Chairman Lee took over the athletic meet, the athletic meet’s budget increased. The increase was increased from 288 billion won in 2016 to 3939 billion won in 2020, which led to an increase in labor costs for member organizations and securing stable jobs for sportsmen. In addition, the integration and settlement of elite and daily sports was neatly accomplished.
On either side, he was re-elected as the president of the sports venue with the most support, satisfying both sides with a balanced sports policy.
During his new term, Chairman Lee is planning to design and present a vision for the new 100 years of sports. Chairman Lee said, “Last year, a bill was established to make 3,000 national sports leaders full-time, and it is about to be applied on the front line,” and promised, “We will focus on creating stable and protected jobs in the future.”
In addition, the points are also matched to school sports. The normalization of school sports can be compared to the roots of Korean sports. The plan is to discover competent human resources and future national representatives in the field of school sports, and to create an environment where students can enjoy sports. To this end, Chairman Lee plans to come up with specific plans, such as assigning one sports leader for every 200 students.
Reporter Heo Jong-ho [email protected]
First Integrated Sports Hall… IOC member election in 2019
Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the Korea Sports Association, entered the field of sports in 2001 as vice-chairman of the Korea Modern 5th Class Federation. He was the chairman of the Korea Canoe Federation in 2004 and the President of the Korea Swimming Federation in 2010. He worked on sports administration in earnest, and from 2009 to 2016, he expanded his network in domestic and international sports as a vice president of the Korea Sports Association. In 2016, the Korea Sports Association and the National Sports Association were elected as the first integrated sports venue, and they were re-elected with the most votes in the last January election. Since 2019, he has been a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and has also been serving as an ambassador for sports diplomacy.
△ Age: 66
△History: Secretary of the New Democratic Party’s governor in 1985, CEO Woosung Industrial Development from 1989 to 2012, Vice-Chairman of the Korea Modern Fifth Federation from 2001 to 2004, Chairman of the Korea Canoe Federation from 2004 to 2009, Vice President of the Korea Sports Association in 2009, Korea from 2010 to 2016 Chairman of the Swimming Federation, 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, 2012 London Olympics, 2012-2020 Jo Gye-jong, Central Shindo Chairman, 2013-2016, Korea Sports Association Vice Chairman, 2013-2014 Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee Vice Chair, 2016-2018 Vice-Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, 2016-Chairman of the Korea Sports Center, Member of the 2019-International Olympic Committee
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