Weightlifting Olympian Kim Chil-bong, former head of the training division of the Korea Sports Association, made a comeback after three years and seven months of being selected as vice president of the athletes' village (Exclusive)
Jul 27, 2025
|
On the 25th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Kim Chil-bong, former head of the training division of the Korea Sports Association, as the final candidate for open recruitment (final successful applicants). The term of office begins in early August after the appointment process of the chairman of the Korean Sports Council Yoo Seung Min. Since its establishment in 2017, the deputy village chief system of the national team has been served by Lee Ho-sik (current representative of KT Sports Team), Jung Sung-sook (current coach of the women's judo team), and Jeong Dong-guk, a former administrator of the modern pentathlon team. The vice-president's term is two years, and he will work around the Pyeongchang Training Center ahead of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Kim Chil-bong, a former national team member after finishing fifth in the men's 56kg weight class at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, joined the Korea Sports Association after retirement and served in key positions such as the head of the management support team, the head of the management operation team, and the head of the general affairs team. He retired from the retirement age in December 2021 after working as the head of the training support team at the Taeneung Training Center at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and the head of the Jincheon Training Center since 2018.
The organization of the vice-president, which is usually known as the position of aides to the chairman of the Korea Sports Council, also reflected the innovation mindset of the chairman of the Korea Sports Council 'Youth Leader'Yoo Seung Min. Three prominent candidates challenged the contest for the vice-president and went through a fairer screening process than ever as it was an open-ended system that drew the attention of athletes. Female legend A's hippopotamus rating also rose, but Kim Chil-bong, a former head of the Korean Sports Council who is familiar with the administration based on field expertise, was reportedly selected in the final interview stage. Kim returned to his home after three years and seven months of retirement, meeting the 'three-year standard' for retirees under the Public Service Ethics Act.
As a result, all three high-ranking athletes in the village will be filled with Olympians and former national team members, including Kim Taek-soo, head of the Jincheon National Team, and Kim Yoon-man, head of the training division (silver medal in ice speed at the 1992 Albertville Olympics).
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
