(ATR) Ki Heung Lee, the former Korean swimming chief who presided over a major corruption scandal, is elected as new president of the country’s NOC.
Lee secured 294 of 893 votes in the election on Wednesday, according to the Yonhap news agency. He beat out the challenge from Ho Sung Chang, who gained 213 votes, and three other candidates.
The 61-year-old, a vice president of the Korean NOC for 11 years who has also led two other national federations, will serve until February 2021.
Appointed on the day the IOC coordination commission began its three-day inspection of PyeongChang 2018, Lee will have a major role in Winter Olympic preparations in the less than 500 days until the Games.
But he is considered a controversial choice following the corruption scandal that engulfed the Korean Swimming Federation under his presidency. In March, 10 board members of the Korea Swimming Federation were indicted on corruption charges including bribery, embezzlement and peddling influence in selection of national athletes.
A PyeongChang 2018 spokeswoman told Around the Rings the committee had no problems with Lee's appointment when asked ifGames organisers were satisfied he was the right man for the Korean NOC presidency.
"Lee is the first president to be elected by his peers to lead the new KOC which merged with the Korea Council of Sport for All in March. He brings a wealth of experience to his new position and we look forward to Mr. Lee's leadership and insight as we work together," she said.
The IOC has yet to comment on Lee’s election.
Of the other candidates, former table tennis world champion Elisa Lee was the best known. The 62-year-old entered the KOC presidential election in 2013, but she suffered a narrow defeat to Kim Jung-haeng in a 28-25 vote.
Seeking tol become the first woman to head KOC, she garnered171 votes with representatives from the KOC and its member federations who were eligible to vote in Wednesday’s election.
Byung-kwan Jeon, a physical education professor, came third in the contest with 189 votes, while Jung-soo Chang pulled in 25 votes.The KOC merged with the Korea Council of Sport for All in March and was headed by Young-joong Kang and Jung-haeng Kim. But they did not seek re-election.
Reported by Mark Bisson
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