The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved “Golf Empress” Park In-bee, 35, as a contender to represent South Korea in this year’s athlete selection process.
After a vote by the IOC Athletes’ Commission and approval by Lee Ki-heung, the president of the Korean Sports Federation, Park was officially selected as the Korean candidate to run for the IOC Athletes’ Commission, according to the Korea Olympic Committee on Monday.
Following competition with Jin Jong-oh (shooting), Kim Yeon-kyung (volleyball), Lee Dae-hoon (taekwondo), and Kim So-young (badminton), Park, who questioned the new IOC Athletes’ Commissioner voting method that will take place during next year’s Paris Olympics, was chosen as the Korean candidate.
Park In-bee, who received the highest score, was recommended as the sole candidate by the KOC Senate on March 14 after the athletes underwent private interviews with the evaluation committee of the Korean Olympic Committee on March 10 to assess their athletic careers, including Olympic results, and their ability to perform internationally, including speaking foreign languages.
The Korean candidate selection procedure was finished after the Athletes’ Commission’s decisions on the 16th and 17th and President Lee Ki-heung’s approval on the same day, and the KOC would inform the IOC of Park In-bee’s candidacy. Four new members will be chosen for the IOC Athletes’ Commission during the election next year.
The fourth-highest earner in terms of money ($18.26 million), Park is a “living legend” who completed the “career grand slam” by winning all four majors. She has 21 victories on the U.S. Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour and is a Hall of Fame member.
She also accomplished the first “golden slam” when women’s golf was reinstituted as an Olympic event in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 after a 116-year hiatus.
Only athletes who have competed in the previous Olympic Games or who will be competing in the Olympic Games when the election is place are eligible to run for office among the IOC members that make up the group that has been dubbed the “United Nations of sports.” They can act as a liaison between athletes and the IOC and as part of sports diplomacy. They have the same rights and obligations as other IOC members.
There have been two IOC Athletes from South Korea.
Dae-sung Yoo Seung-min, a gold medallist in men’s singles table tennis at the Athens Olympics, was elected at the 2016 Rio Olympics and will shortly finish his eight-year term. Moon, 먹튀검증 a gold medalist in taekwondo at the 2004 Athens Olympics, was initially elected during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
There have been 11 Korean IOC members total, including the athletes.
The most recent was Lee Ki-heung, the Korean Sports Minister, who was chosen at the 2019 IOC Session.
Park will be the third Athletes’ Commissioner and the 12th South Korean IOC member.