Lee Ki-heung, president of the Korea Sports Federation, and Kim Byung-chul, chairman of the Sports Fairness Commission, were caught up in a controversy over violations of the Anti-Graft Act during a national audit.
In response to a question at the National Assembly's National Audit Committee on March 22, Lee answered, “Who calculated the cost of lodging and golf at the golf gathering invited by Football Association President Chung Mong-kyu in March?” Lee's remark is expected to be controversial as it may violate the Anti-Graft Act for public organizations.
In March, Lee hosted a golf and dinner meeting at a golf course owned by Chung Mong-kyu, the president of the Korean Football Association. Among the attendees was Kim Byung-chul, chairman of the Sports Fairness Commission, the body that reviews the reappointment of Chung and Lee. The issue was highlighted by the National Audit Service amid allegations that Chairman Chung Mong-kyu received golf hospitality around the time of his reappointment review.
The National Assembly raised the opinion that Chung's golf invitations may have violated the Act against Solicitation of Public Officials. “The employees of the Korea Sports Federation are subject to the Kim Youngran Act (anti-graft law), and it could be a violation of the anti-graft law,” said Kang Yoo-jung, 카지노사이트 a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, demanding that the KFA submit data on the cost of the golf outing.
In an earlier question, Fairness Commissioner Kim Byung-chul said, “I couldn't calculate the cost because it was an event of the Korea Sports Federation that day,” in response to a question about whether the association had paid for the golf meeting invited by Chung Mong-kyu.
Representative Kang Yoo-jung said, “The Korea Sports Federation is an entity that can take disciplinary or corrective measures against its affiliated soccer associations. If they were treated to accommodation, golf, meals, etc., it would be a violation of the Anti-Graft Act, and the chairman of the KFA is currently in public office,” he said, referring to the connection between the soccer federation and the KFA, and arguing that ‘hospitality golf’ is illegal.