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Archer Jang Chae-hwan of national team to be disciplined for far-right post

Published: 19 Aug. 2025, 18:02 Updated: 20 Aug. 2025, 19:43

Archer Jang Chae-hwan of the national team [KOREA ARCHERY ASSOCIATION]

The Korea Archery Association is expected to apply disciplinary measures to archer Jang Chae-hwan of the national team after he sparked controversy with politically far-right posts on social media.

The association said on Monday that it is discussing whether to convene its Sports Fairness Committee to decide on the level of disciplinary action.

“This is not a matter of dispute. The posts are there, and the athlete admitted wrongdoing,” an official said. “Discussions are underway to open a committee hearing on Jang Chae-hwan.”

Jang drew backlash after he followed multiple far-right social media accounts and wrote myeolgong, which translates to “eradicate communism,” in the introduction section of his Instagram profile. The term has been associated with the far-right as it has been often used on communities like Ilbe, also known as Ilgan Best.

He also posted several conspiracy theories around the June presidential election, alleging that China manipulated the results.

Jang Chae-hwan uploaded on Instagram a photo of him voting in Korea's 2025 presidential election in June with the caption, "Stop rigged elections, vote in person. Right what is wrong. Stop communist forces. Eradicate communism." [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Jang earned a spot-on the national team in March through the selection trials but failed to rank in the top four in the final evaluations. As a result, he will not compete in major international competitions such as the World Archery Championships in Gwangju.

The archery association has provided social media training to athletes, but it has mainly focused on first-tier players competing in major international tournaments.

“We will expand training so that all national team members understand their responsibilities as public figures and representatives of Korea,” an association official said.

On Sunday, Jang posted an apology on his social media.

“I thought I was not a public figure because I am a second-tier national team member,” he wrote.

“The Constitution says all citizens are equal before the law and must not be discriminated against in any area, so I thought it was acceptable to express my political views. I had no ill intent. If anyone was upset by my actions, I am sorry.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]