Paris: After winning the women’s singles gold medal at the Paris Olympics, world champion An Se-young publicly lashed out against the Badminton Korea Association, hinting that she might withdraw from the Korean national team. This outburst caught the attention of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who demanded a thorough investigation and explanation from the Badminton Korea Association. Today, An Se-young posted a “blackout” image on social media, expressing her heavy heart and apologizing to all the Korean athletes whose moment of glory was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding her.
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The 22-year-old An Se-young’s criticism of the Badminton Korea Association included allegations of neglecting her injury, uneven resource distribution favoring doubles players, and canceling her international matches without proper communication.
According to a report by Chosun Ilbo, An Se-young’s comments drew the attention of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who requested an explanation from the Badminton Korea Association. In response, the association issued a press release yesterday, presenting medical diagnoses and examination results, and claimed that they did not force any players to compete. They also announced the formation of a truth-finding committee to investigate the bias in training resources towards doubles players.
In her social media post today, An Se-young wrote, “My heart is very heavy for surprising so many people with my story.
Especially, my deepest apologies to the athletes who are competing on the Olympic stage after countless efforts. My remarks overshadowed the moments that should be celebrated and honored to the fullest, like a wave washing everything away. My sincere apologies to the players.
I also apologize to the journalists who came to the airport yesterday and to everyone who was waiting for my statement.
I will share my thoughts and position after the Olympics are over and all athletes have been properly celebrated.
Thank you.”
An Se-young also apologized to the reporters who came to the airport yesterday and to those waiting to hear her stance.
Recently, at a press conference held by the South Korean Olympic delegation in Paris, only the mixed doubles silver medalists Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun attended. They were repeatedly asked about An Se-young. An Se-young stated at Charles de Gaulle Airport on August 6th that she did not attend the press conference because she was instructed by the association to “wait and not say anything.”
The President of the Korea Badminton Association denied instructing An Se-young not to attend the press conference and expressed surprise at her absence. According to the association, the press conference was organized by the Korean Sports & Olympic Committee and they were not informed.
Regarding An Se-young’s recent explosive comments, Kim Taek-gyu expressed his sadness during an interview, saying, “I cannot say that the association has done everything perfectly. The association may have made some mistakes, but once people see the data we have prepared, they will understand.” South Korean media reported that Kim returned early to prepare the necessary materials, which are expected to be presented to the Korean media in the next few days.
Responding to An Se-young’s claim of mishandling her injuries, Kim Taek-gyu defended the association, stating they provided ample resources for her treatment, including a budget of 15 million KRW (approximately $10,918.67 USD) for her training and hiring a traditional Korean medicine practitioner to treat her injury before the Olympics.
Addressing the issue of insufficient resources, Kim explained that the South Korean badminton team consists of over 300 players, including both adults and juniors. “Even for a world champion, we cannot allocate all resources to one player.” He emphasized that An Se-young was provided with a foreign coach to aid her training, a support not extended to other badminton disciplines, demonstrating the exceptional support she received.
An Se-young had indicated that it would be difficult to continue if the association remained complacent, while Kim Taek-gyu hinted that it would be hard for her to compete internationally as an individual. According to South Korean regulations, athletes must have made significant contributions to South Korean badminton and have been on the national team for at least five years in order to be able to compete individually and independently. Male players must be at least 28 years old and female players at least 27. Alternatively, these independent players must obtain the association’s approval before they can participate in international tournaments; however, given the current tensions, this seems unlikely.
After An Se-young arrived at Incheon Airport upon returning from Paris, she stated, “I don’t want to fight with the association; I just want to focus on the sport and hope everyone understands.”
She added that she has not yet discussed the issues with the association or her team and will provide a detailed explanation after such discussions. Regarding President Kim Taek-gyu’s claim that there are no conflicts between them, she responded, “We will discuss this further and then inform everyone.”
