(ATR) Olympic athletes appear to be the latest victims of the influence peddling scheme that is rocking the government of President Hye Geung Park.
Media reports say figure skater Yu Na Kim was blacklisted for awards from the Korean Olympic Committee because she failed to endorse a calisthenics program that an associate of the Korean president was trying to help win a government contract.
Kim, 2010 gold medalist, is said to have been excluded from consideration as the 2015 Korean Sports Hero of the Year issued by the KOC, even though she won 82 percent of the public vote.
Another gold medalist, swimmer Tae Hwan Park, is said to have been blackmailed by the former minister of sport not to attempt to make the South Korean team for the Rio Olympics. Park challenged a KOC rule that banned him from competing even after serving am 18-month suspension for a doping infraction. Park won his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and was allowed to compete, but failed to medal.
The sports minister, who has since resigned, is said to have tried to ply the swimmer with university scholarships and other emoluments to keep Park from launching the CAS appeal.
Reports in Korea say actions of the sports minister against Park and the retribution against Kim was orchestrated by Soon Sil Choi, a lifelong friend of the Korean president. Choi facesa growing list of influence peddling charges and she has been in custody for weeks. President Park, who has made public apologies, now could face impeachment by the National Assembly. For the past month tens of thousands of protestors have flocked to the center of Seoul each Saturday to protest against Park.
All of this with the country hosting its first-ever Winter Olympics in just 14 months, also touched by the scandal.
Still unconfirmed is the allegation that former PyeongChang 2018 president Yang Ho Cho was told to resign his post earlier this year when he would not make a donation to a foundation controlled by Choi. At the time of his sudden resignation in May, Cho said he needed to tend to his company’s Hanjin Shipping, which has since collapsed.
Cho's office will not comment, saying it would be inappropriate while prosecutors investigate.
Written by Ed Hula.