Police concluded that Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) President Ryu Seung-min, who was accused of receiving incentive payments tied to sponsorships under a borrowed name when he was president of the Korea Table Tennis Association, is not guilty.
According to police and others on Jul. 7, the Financial Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency recently decided not to refer President Ryu to prosecutors, finding no charge due to insufficient evidence regarding allegations including breach of duty. Kim Taek-su, head of the Jincheon National Training Center, and Jeong Hae-cheon, former Secretary-General of the Korea Table Tennis Association, who were reported along with him, were also not referred.
Groups including the Citizens' Coalition for Sports filed a complaint in Jul. last year accusing President Ryu of offenses including breach of duty. They claimed that during Ryu's tenure as table tennis association president, he ran an incentive system that paid a portion to individuals who secured sponsorships, and that he invoked non-effective regulations to pay the incentives, causing property damage to the association.
Police were said to have determined that the breach of duty allegation does not stand because President Ryu and others did not have decision-making authority over paying the incentives.
It was also reported that the younger sibling of the head of President Ryu's agency received more than 200 million won in incentives, raising suspicions of receipt under a borrowed name, but police were said to have found the evidence insufficient.
In addition, police found that other allegations, including obstruction of business in the national team selection process, selection of venues for the division league, a study tour of a U.S. league, and private use of sponsored flight tickets from Korean Air Lines, either did not constitute crimes or lacked sufficient evidence.