Prosecutors Request Police to Reinvestigate Yoo Seungmin, Head of Sports Committee, over 'Breach of Trust Allegations'

Prosecutors have requested that the police reopen their investigation into Yoo Seungmin, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, regarding allegations of breach of trust during his tenure as President of the Korea Table Tennis Association and suspicions of arbitrary selection of national team athletes, after the police had decided not to forward the case for prosecution.

Yoo Seungmin, President of the Korea Sports Council. Photo by Yonhap News

According to legal sources on September 30, the Criminal Division 5 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office (headed by Chief Prosecutor Jeong Jae-sin) requested a reinvestigation from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, which had previously decided not to send Yoo’s case to prosecutors the day before. In the past, during his time as President of the Korea Table Tennis Association, Yoo was accused of breach of trust for implementing an incentive system and paying a portion of sponsorship funds to those who helped secure sponsors. Additionally, ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he was charged with interference with business for allegedly requesting a review so that an athlete who had not been recommended by the Table Tennis Association's Performance Improvement Committee could be selected for the national team.

However, after nearly a year-long investigation, police concluded in July of this year that it was difficult to recognize Yoo’s criminal liability and decided not to refer the case for prosecution. At the time, police judged that Yoo did not have authority to decide on the payment of incentives and that his request to review the selection of athletes was within his legitimate powers as the president of the association.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.