Sports Citizens' Solidarity accusation → Chairman Yoo Seung-min launches an incentive police investigation → Chairman Yoo will wait for the results of the police investigation without receiving any money
Oct 29, 2025
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Controversy has been going on for more than a year over the incentives for donations when he was the chairman of the Korea Table Tennis Association, Yoo Seung Min.
According to Yonhap News on the 29th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's financial crime investigation team is investigating Yoo on charges of professional malpractice, following Cho Eun-hee, a member of the People's Power, questioned the issue at a parliamentary audit of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on the 27th. This is due to civic groups such as Sports Citizens' Solidarity and Cultural Solidarity filed a complaint with the police in July about illegal receipt of donation incentives when Chairman Yoo was president of the Korea Table Tennis Association, and when asked about lawmaker Cho Eun-hee's police investigation at the National Assembly on the 27th, Chairman Yoo said, `We have not been investigated yet" he once answered. News related to the police investigation is pouring in ahead of the comprehensive audit of the committee on the 29th.
They claim that President Yoo caused property damage to the association by paying incentives in violation of regulations for operating an incentive system that pays 10% of the lien to boost the attraction of donations while he was president of the Table Tennis Association. In particular, while Chairman Yoo's younger brother A is known to have received about 200 million won in incentives, police are expected to check whether Chairman Yoo took the incentives under a borrowed name.
In April, the Sports Ethics Center under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism called for disciplinary action against former and current executives and employees, judging that the Korea Table Tennis Association's incentive payment of 10% of the funds based on the fund management regulations that were not approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism violated the rules of sports organizations that `executives cannot be paid.' The Table Tennis Association ordered Chairman Yoo to be held responsible for negligence in management and supervision.
In response to the issue, which was raised by his opponent during the election for the chairman of the Korea Sports Council, Chairman Yoo held an emergency press conference on the 13th, the day before the presidential election, claiming that `Although the opposing candidates raised moral issues, they did not receive a single penny as an incentive.' "At the suggestion of Secretary-General Jeong Hae-cheon, incentives were introduced to attract donations for the desperate measures and were paid through the Incentive Committee" " and emphasized that "he did not use the corporate card of the Korea Table Tennis Association or the expenses of the Table Tennis Association during his term in office."
At a meeting with the chairman of the sports organization in April, after notifying the Sports Ethics Center of disciplinary recommendations, Chairman Yoo said, `I am sorry and sorry to tell you the unfavorable part. He publicly apologized for failing to properly take care of the regulations, but also expressed the practical difficulty of self-reliance of sports organizations. "I've been the head of the table tennis association for five years, and the finances of the organizations are not easy. The chairman should sell his own products to attract sponsorships. It is time to look back on the relevant regulations in order to develop the stock." Through his SNS, he respects the investigation and judgment of the Sports Ethics Center. The issue stems from a lack of understanding and mistakes in some administrative procedures, and there was no intention in the process. Of course, the lack of understanding and mistakes are also my fault as a leader," he apologized, adding "I worked like a cow while serving as a table tennis association for the past five years." "I worked day and night with a great sense of responsibility to represent table tennis players without using any association's assets without salaries, vehicles, public expenses, or even an office space of the association." "If there is anything to take responsibility for, the position that I will take responsibility remains unchanged. However, it should be premised on an accurate opportunity to call reflecting the reality of the field, not a scratch like 'Cada', and if there was an administrative error that occurred without knowing the regulations, we are willing to correct it, and we regret once again for causing confusion in the process. "The clarification of the investigation results will be sufficiently made through legal and procedural processes, and we will not avoid that responsibility. However, we will respond strongly to malicious and false facts that confuse and divide sportsmen.'
Chairman Yoo Seung Min's position is the same. Regarding the incentive controversy on the 27th, he also said, `They didn't use 'Yoo Seung Min chance', but I used 'knowing chance'. Thank you and sorry to those who connected the supporting companies and worked together to attract the company.'
Kim Hyun-soo, executive chairman of the Sports Citizens' Coalition, who filed a complaint against Chairman Yoo on the 28th, announced the news of the police investigation into Chairman Yoo Seung Min on his SNS, saying, `There is something that many people around me always say when they encourage the Sports Citizens' Coalition. 'The sports community feels that the solidarity of civil society is so weak that the surveillance system is too poor.' This time, the Citizens' Solidarity for Physical Education has done its job."
While reference persons such as A are known to have already been investigated by the police, Chairman Yoo said "I haven't received a single penny regarding incentives. I can say it confidently. I will faithfully respond to the police investigation, and I will wait and see the results. We hope that the results of the investigation will come out as soon as possible." Controversy over incentives, which had been hot throughout the presidential election of the Korea Table Tennis Association and the Korea Sports Association last year, has continued for more than a year since Yoo took office. The sports community responded that it was rather successful. With the running population exceeding 10 million and next year's Olympics, World Cup, and Asian Games imminent, Chairman Yoo of the 'Young Leader' also had better clear up suspicions to establish strong leadership early in his term. The truth is likely to be revealed through a police investigation.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
