Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the Sports Council, took the first step in the screening process for three consecutive terms.a week of destiny

[Anchor]
The first step was taken to determine whether Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the Korea Sports Association, could run in the next election and whether he would be eligible for a third term.

Under all-round pressure, such as negative public opinion and government audits inside and outside the sports world, the 12th is expected to be a watershed moment.

This is reporter Cho Eun-ji.

[Reporter]

"The sportsmen are watching, make a stern judgment! Make a judgment! Make a judgment!"

Union members held a surprise protest ahead of the Sports Fair Committee meeting, which examines the qualifications of Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the sports committee, for a second term.

During his eight years in office, Chairman Lee said he had only played politics, and pressed him to deliberate according to fairness and common sense.

[Kim Sung-ha / Chairman of the Korea Sports Council Union: Chairman Lee Ki-heung is destroying the responsibility and sense of duty of his employees. We decided that we could no longer work under the current chairman, so we went into a struggle mode.

According to the association's articles of association, he can run only after deliberation from the third term,
As Chairman Lee Ki-heung was elected to the IOC in his capacity as president of the Korean Sports Council, observers say he has a weak cause to prevent it.

This is also why the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recommended resignation several times instead of coercion.

[Yoo In-chon / Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (National Audit last month): In this case, I will give advice so that sportsmen can decide on their own.]

However, the government's omnidirectional "microscope audit" is expected to be a variable.

The Prime Minister's Office plans to request an investigation soon on allegations of hiring irregularities after detecting the allegation that Chairman Lee had preferential employment of his daughter's friend at the sports association.

It also plans to tighten the "money line" by recovering all the misused subsidies, which reportedly exceeds 20 billion won.

These are expected to be announced ahead of the Sports and Fair Trade Commission's plenary session on the 12th, which will confirm Chairman Lee's eligibility for a third term.

Chairman Lee Ki-heung told YTN, which asks whether he will run or not, that he has several alternatives open, and the possibility of putting up another person and declaring support is being discussed in the political circle.

In the next election, which will be held on January 14 next year, four people, including Yoo Seung Min, former president of the Table Tennis Association, Kang Shin-wook, emeritus professor at Dankook University, Kim Yong-joo, former secretary-general of the Gangwon Sports Association, and Park Chang-beom, former president of the Wushu Association, have cast their ballots.

It is now 50 days before candidate registration, and the sports presidential election seems to be flowing into a political fight rather than a policy battle this time.

I'm Jo Eun Ji of YTN.



a photographer;Lee Young-jae

Design;Kim Jin-ho