The new president of the Olympic Committee promises to be a workhorse for Korean sports

Korean Sports and Olympic Committee President-elect Ryu Seung-min smiles during a press conference in Seoul, January 16. Yonhap

Former table tennis star Ryu Seung-min, recently elected head of the National Olympic Committee, said Thursday he will try to become the hardest-working president in his organization's history.

Ryu won the Korean Sports and Olympic Committee (KSOC) presidential election on Tuesday over Lee Kee-heung, who was seeking his third term. Ryu received 417 of the 1,209 votes, while Lee finished with 379 votes.

Ryu's term officially begins next month and runs through February 2029.

Ryu famously won the men's singles gold medal against then world No. 1 from China, Wang Hao, at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Ryu remains the last Korean table tennis player to win Olympic gold. His election victory over Lee is widely regarded as a shock of similar magnitude.

After his retirement, Ryu served as a member of the Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 2016 to 2024. He also served as president of the Korea Table Tennis Association (KTTA) from 2019 to 2024.

At his first news conference since the election victory, Ryu said Thursday that he understands the weight of responsibility.

“We have had some great KSOC presidents, and I will try to surpass them all and become the most diligent worker ever,” Ryu said. “I know we are facing many pressing issues in Korean sports. I will have a lot on my plate. And when I'm done, I want to be remembered as a president who worked very hard for people in sports.”

Under Lee's leadership, which started in 2016, the relationship between the KSOC and the Ministry of Sports deteriorated significantly, leading to major budget cuts and to the ministry's suspension of Lee in November over a series of misconduct allegations.

Even if Lee had been elected, the ministry would not have immediately confirmed his victory. However, Ryu maintained friendly ties with the ministry during his time as an IOC member and KTTA president, making it likely that the severed ties between the KSOC and the ministry will be mended soon.

Ryu said he met with Sports Minister Yu In-chon and his deputy minister, Olympic weightlifting champion Jang Mi-ran, earlier Thursday for a productive dialogue.

“Minister Yu offered to give his full support to the projects we will pursue at KSOC,” Ryu said. “He said he understands the concerns people in the sport have about the ties between the ministry and the KSOC and said he will support the new direction for the KSOC.”

The race took the form of a battle between Lee and five anti-Lee candidates. They were expected to split the vote and give Lee a relatively easy victory. Ryu himself admitted that he himself was not completely confident that he could achieve victory.

“This took me back to the Olympic final against Wang Hao. I was congratulated because I had just reached the final. It was deja vu,” Ryu said with a smile. “But later I heard that some voters had changed their minds and voted for me after hearing my last speech on election day. I wasn't really nervous because I knew I had given my best.”

Korean Sports and Olympic Committee President-elect Ryu Seung-min speaks during a press conference in Seoul, January 16. Yonhap

Ryu said he will undertake “high-intensity” internal reform and help KSOC emerge from a dark tunnel. He noted that morale at KSOC is quite low, with staffers having faced police investigations following Lee's allegations, including that of misusing official funds and of implementing illegal hiring practices.

“I hope to create a system where voices come from different sources. Just because I'm the president, I don't want to be the center of it all,” Ryu said. “Even if it comes from an intern, if we think it's a good idea, we're open to it. I think the KSOC has been a passive organization. Do we want to change, or are we going to be changed? If we don't create a culture that enables proactive change, we are missing a valuable opportunity.”

Many of Ryu's predecessors had business or political backgrounds. He may not have the connections in high places that those former presidents had, but Ryu said he isn't worried about that since he won't be doing it alone.

“I will be surrounded by great minds, and I know they will help me make up for any disadvantages I may have,” Ryu said. “I have already been in contact with business leaders and politicians. I will try to build relationships with them and do whatever is necessary to ensure the growth of KSOC and Korean sports.”

By losing to Ryu, Lee also loses his IOC membership. He was elected in 2019 in his capacity as head of its national Olympic body and will lose his seat now that he is no longer KSOC president.

Conversely, Ryu will now have the opportunity to become an IOC member in his position as KSOC president.

Just two days removed from his election victory, Ryu said he would not comment on the possibility of running for an IOC seat. He did say that his election as KSOC chief should provide continuity for Korea's international sports diplomacy, thanks to his previous experiences with the IOC.

Although the KSOC president is in an unpaid position, Ryu said he was not concerned about his own bottom line.

“This is the kind of work you do with philosophy, vision and passion,” Ryu said. “I can take care of myself. And if I can help KSOC grow and increase our budget, then that will be more than good enough for me.” (Yonhap)