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New Korean sports chief says athleticism should start at school

Published: 10 Mar. 2025, 10:26

Ryu Seung-min celebrates his victory in the election for president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee at the Olympic Hall in southern Seoul on Jan. 14. [NEWS1]

Newly-elected Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) President Ryu Seung-min plans to usher in an era of “hope and joy through sports” as he takes office at the top of Korea's sporting apparatus.

Ryu, 42, beat incumbent president Lee Kee-heung in the presidential election on Jan. 14 and began his four-year term at the helm of the KSOC on Feb. 28.

The election of Ryu, a popular athlete and sports administrator, marks a stark move away from the long-embattled Lee, who sought a third term despite allegations of misconduct and government calls for his suspension.

Olympic table tennis gold medalist Ryu brings a wealth of administrative experience as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Korea Table Tennis Association president to KSOC, which oversees the selection of players and teams for international tournaments during his term, including the 2026 Winter Olympics, 2026 Asian Games and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“Nothing will be more rewarding than bringing back national hope and joy through sports once again,” Ryu said during an interview with Monthly JoongAng, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, on Jan. 20.

Ryu’s remarks come after Korea recently struggled in some sports on the international stage. The country failed to qualify for every team sport except women’s handball at the Paris Olympics last summer.

Ryu also discussed what initiatives he plans to implement during his term and the main reason he decided to run for KSOC president.

The following are edited excerpts from that interview, which has been translated into English.

Q. How did you feel about winning the election?

A. I felt happy only for a short while, as I feel a big sense of duty, responsibility and the burden of operating such a big organization as the KSOC. I am approaching this with the mindset that I need to concentrate on actually doing KSOC work, rather than feeling happy about getting the job.

Lee Kee-heung, who was seeking his third term, was the favorite to win the election. There have been many a lot of talk about you coming from behind to beat him. What do you think was the key behind it?

Then-Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Lee Kee-heung speaks during a press conference in southern Seoul on Dec. 23, 2024. [YONHAP]

I really did my best. It was probably the case with all the other candidates, but I went into the election with the mindset that I will do everything I can. I also had support from a good team. You cannot have the KSOC presidential election alone. As well as those who had been working with me before, various figures stuck together and helped me. And I think above all, people in professional sports truly recognized my sincerity. I will really work hard to bring about the change I know they desire.


KSOC will celebrate its 105th year in July. It is an organization with a long history, but what does it do?

As the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee name literally indicates, its goal is to promote the nation’s health through sports. It is a sports organization supporting national teams and youth athletes, promoting sports and doing everything related to sports. Since it is a member of the IOC, it also uses an English name.

How big is the KSOC’s annual budget?

Last year, it was around 440 billion won ($305 million), but I understand that this year's budget has been significantly reduced to about 290 billion won.


A conflict with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism during former president Lee’s term is deemed to one of the reasons for the budget reduction. What was the cause of the conflict?

The way I see it is that the two organizations sought different values in the first place. I think the vision and values we sought were different, but I don’t think it is appropriate for me to discuss the former president’s system. I don’t want to talk about it.

Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President-Elect Ryu Seung-min, left, speaks with Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon during the Asian Winter Games at HIC Speed Skating Oval in Harbin, China on Feb. 8. [NEWS1]

You visited the Sports Ministry right after winning the election. What conversation did you have with Sports Minister Yu In-chon?

Many people demanded the KSOC improve relations with the Sports Ministry and work well with the ministry during my election campaign, which is why I visited Yu to discuss the agenda. The conclusion was simple. He told me that the Sports Ministry would fully support what I’m pushing to do and said that he agrees with the majority of my campaign promises.

Did you request tha the budget was restored?

We did not discuss the budget, since this year’s budget has already been set. However, the KSOC will try to gradually restore the reduced budget with its administrative power and by building good relations with the Sports Ministry.

You also met with Second Vice Sports Minister Jang Mi-ran. It must have been nice to meet someone who was also an athlete.

I spent 20 years with Vice Minister Jang at the national team training center. As we are both gold medalists and spent time together at the national team training center, we shared the idea that we must now volunteer more on the frontline. The atmosphere in the sports world is not so good, but we must revive it. We also agreed that we need to work well with each other for the development of sports in Korea.

From left: Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon, Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President-Elect Ryu Seung-min and Second Vice Sports Minister Jang Mi-ran pose for a photo at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in central Seoul on Jan. 16. [NEWS1]

Which initiative will you prioritize?

I first want to normalize regional and school sports. The system for the election of regional sports presidents was changed to direct elections in 2019, instead of allowing the head of the local government to hold two positions. But regional sports presidents are inevitably conscious of the local governments, as the governments provide their budget. I’m considering an initiative that will help regional sports councils to improve independently.

Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President-Elect Ryu Seung-min speaks during a press conference in central Seoul on Jan. 16. [NEWS1]

How do you plan to normalize school sports?

I want to help ordinary students to learn sports professionally in school. It is especially important to create an environment in which youth players can solely focus on sport. There have been many claims that Korea should follow the system of the United States or Japan. But the two countries have a totally different system. For students with athletic goals, restrictions such as scrapping training camps or preventing them from competing in games due to their low grades are a form of reverse discrimination.

Some claim that the minimum grade system needs to be adopted in order for athletes to have options after they quit or retire.

We need to scrap this stereotype that athletes have nothing to do after retirement. Former athletes have established themselves in many parts of society. But some do struggle adjusting their lives. This is something that can be resolved by forming relevant systems. Athletes learn a culture of mutual respect and virtue as a members of society through sports.

I don’t understand the stereotype that athletes are not smart in today’s society. Star players like Ryu Hyun-jin, Park Chan-ho, Kim Yuna and Pak Se-ri are leaders that donate heavily to society. Could there be anyone who could say that that they are uneducated? It depends on the circumstance, but I don’t think that studying and playing sports at the same time widens your career choices.

Popular sports attracting too much popularity is a factor that makes athletes in unpopular sports and their parents feel insecure.

If you look at it differently, this is why school sports matter. There are many sports that are not popular in Korea but are popular in other countries. School sports are the best when it comes to constructing infrastructure for each sport. Each sport needs star players in order for the nation to care about it. Five popular sports in Korea — baseball, football, basketball, volleyball and golf — all have pro stages. Various sports need to go pro in order to attract people’s attention and there should be more tournaments as well.

How do you plan to lead KSOC during your four-year term?

KSOC has about 270 members. I think that cooperating with them will allow me to work on all these issues that have been building up. I won’t present a complete plan right now, as I believe that I can make a rich forest four years later if I plant one tree at a time.

What was the reason you became interested in sport diplomacy?

I thought about nothing but sports as an athlete. But as a coach, I realized that being a good advisor is another important virtue. I did not have any other experience [than being an athlete], which is why I ran for the IOC.

What is your goal after serving as KSOC president?

I don’t have a goal at the moment. I first have to concentrate on this job. This is a really big organization. Since I have a heavy responsibility, thinking about four years from now is illogical.

Finally, could you send a message to the nation that finds joy and hope through sports?

Sport has always given the nation joy in hard times. Athletes have lost their pride with a recent surge of criticism toward the sports industry. Nevertheless, sport essentially has limitless value. Nothing will be more rewarding than bringing the nation hope, joy and excitement through sports once again. I will work hard. I understand people’s concerns, but I hope that they support us by trusting in our changing sports world, caring for our athletes and enjoying sports more.

BY CHOI EUN-SEOK [[email protected]]