Senior official overseeing shooting range excluded from audit, later promoted

KSOC chief Yu Seung-min vows strict action if misconduct confirmed

Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Yu Seung-min delivers a work report at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee audit of the KSOC on Wednesday. [Yonhap]
Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Yu Seung-min delivers a work report at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee audit of the KSOC on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

Questions over the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee's handling of a live-ammunition leak at the national training center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, resurfaced Wednesday, with lawmakers raising concerns about a flawed internal audit and uneven disciplinary action.

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Jin Seon-mi raised the issue at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee audit of the KSOC, saying the organization's internal probe and disciplinary process following the leak of 10,000 practice rounds in February last year were deeply flawed.

Jin said the head of training planning and operations — the direct superior in the shooting range's management chain at the time — was excluded from the audit entirely.

"It is hard to accept that someone escaped discipline on the grounds that the reporting structure was merely a formality, having never received a single briefing in 15 years," Jin said, arguing the official should have been monitoring and receiving reports on the shooting range's management.

Jin also noted that the official was promoted to deputy secretary-general after KSOC President Yu Seung-min took office. She said the official, upon learning of the ammunition leak, directed staff to issue a press release suggesting there was no problem. She further said that when a frontline employee referred to the disciplinary committee filed a recusal request against the deputy secretary-general, the deputy secretary-general remained in his post while only the staff member who drafted the press release was disciplined.

In response, Yu said he had ordered a comprehensive investigation following last year's national audit and that the press release was issued after he received an internal report indicating no problems had been found.

However, Yu acknowledged that "there were problems in the reporting chain among the training center director, the management division head and the department chief at the time."

"I take these concerns seriously and will thoroughly re-examine our internal procedures. If any misconduct is confirmed, we will take strict action," Yu said.


yjc@heraldcorp.com