Korean Sports Council. /News1

The court rejected a preliminary injunction filed by some voters and candidates who claimed that the process for the 42nd president election of the Korea Sports Council was unreasonable. Accordingly, this election will take place as scheduled on the 14th.

The Seoul Eastern District Court's Civil Division 21 (Director General Kim Jeong-min) dismissed on the 13th the motions for an election suspension requested against the Korea Sports Council by 11 delegates, including Lee Ho-jin, president of the Korea Ice Hockey Association, and candidate Professor Kang Shin-wook from Dankook University.

The Korea Sports Council election will be held on the 14th at the Olympic Hall of Olympic Park in Songpa District, Seoul, with 2,244 voters participating. This election includes the current president Lee Gi-heung, former Korea Sports Council Secretary General Kim Yong-joo, former Korea Table Tennis Association President Yoo Seung-min, Seoul Sports Council President Kang Tae-seon, former Korea Sepak Takraw Association President Oh Joo-young, and Professor Kang Shin-wook (in that order of ballot numbers) who have been campaigning.

A week before the election, on the 7th, President Lee Ho-jin and other delegates argued that conducting a candidate's presentation at 1 p.m. on election day and allowing only 150 minutes for voting infringes on voting rights, insisting that the election should be suspended. On the 8th, Professor Kang filed a motion for an election suspension, claiming procedural issues in forming the voter group and that the election time and place violate voting rights and fairness.

The Seoul Eastern District Court, having received both motion applications, held a hearing on the 10th, and on the eve of the election, made a surprising decision to dismiss the motions. A representative for the sports council countered during the hearing, stating, "If you cannot trust the credibility of the National Election Commission, what can you trust? The argument that rights are restrictive does not hold water." Regarding Professor Kang's issues, they rebutted, "Since the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism was also involved in forming the voter group and the election commission members attended, it can be proven that those who secured fairness were present."

Immediately after the preliminary injunction results were announced, the Korea Sports Council issued a press release stating that, as previously announced, the election will start at 1 p.m. and proceed in the order of candidate presentations, voting, ballot counting, and determining the winner. They added, "The voting and counting will be conducted fairly under the supervision of the Songpa District Election Commission's observers, and we will ensure that this election is conducted fairly and transparently."

As the 'election season' for selecting new sports leaders unfolds, claims of unfairness in the election process have increased, leading to court rulings that have impacted election schedules; however, the court's judgments have varied.

Earlier, the court cited a motion for an election suspension filed by candidate Heo Jeong-moo for the Korea Football Association on the 7th, the day before the election, leading to a postponement of that election. Candidate Heo argued that the organization of the election management committee was unclear, the election schedule and procedures were not properly announced, and that a smaller voter group was constituted than required due to the 'failure to submit a consent form for personal information', claiming that election management was being conducted unreasonably. The application was submitted to the court on the 30th of last month, and the hearing took place two days before the scheduled election on the 6th, concluding on the 7th.

Following this, the Korea Football Association set a new election date for the 23rd, but after opposition from candidates Heo Jeong-moo and Shin Moon-sun insisting that the election process must start anew, all election management committee members resigned, resulting in all future schedules being put on hold.