The National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee conducted a national audit of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and related bodies on Wednesday, with lawmakers directing sharp criticism at sports administration — including the growing controversy over whether to abolish military service exemptions for Asian Games gold medalists.
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lim O-kyung said amateur athletes "train with blood, sweat and tears just to wear the national uniform," while professional players compete at the Asian Games "for personal gain, drawing public outrage." She called for the abolition of military exemptions for Asian Games gold medalists.
Regarding the issue, KSOC President Yoo Seung-min said "we need to approach very carefully" the prospect of stripping benefits from all professional athletes because of the conduct of a few.
People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Yong-geun said that amid the controversy over military service benefits, access to the Armed Forces Athletic Corps — which allows athletes to continue competing while fulfilling their military obligations — varies by sport, creating an unequal system.
Yoon said the summer sports quota for the Armed Forces Athletic Corps stands at 322 slots across 24 disciplines, while winter sports are allocated just four slots in a single discipline. "Can anyone call that gap reasonable?" he said.
On the management of KSOC-affiliated organizations, Democratic Party lawmaker Noh Jong-myeon raised allegations of contract steering against Cha Myung-ju, a director at the Sports Ethics Center who previously represented the national baseball team and pitched for Lotte, Doosan and Hanwha.
Noh said that after Cha took office, contracts were funneled to Sports Science Lab, a company whose chief executive is Cha's spouse. "That company won four contracts in 2024 and 2025," he said.
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