Rep. An Min-suk of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during a conference held at the party's headquarters in Seoul, Jan. 5. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun
By Baek Byung-yeul
On Wednesday, Rep. An Min-suk of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea cited Samsung's involvement as "a core reason" for the controversy over biased judging that took place at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Feb. 5, leading to the disqualification of two Korean short track speedskaters.
The lawmaker blamed Samsung's lack of funding support for these disqualifications that resulted in favor of China's skaters at the Winter Olympics. After having supported Korean ice skating ― including short track speedskating ― since 1997, Samsung withdrew its support in 2016 after its vice chairman was accused of having bribed former President Park Geunhye, in what was referred to as a "corporate manipulation of state affairs."
"I want to talk about Samsung for a core reason," An said, adding, "Samsung has supported the Korea Skating Union for 20 years since 1997 and played a role in helping our athletes rise to the international level, but Samsung has pulled out of sports sponsorship since the corporate manipulation of state affairs incident."
However, An's remarks resemble a feigned attack to shield the government by blaming Samsung, amidst inflamed anti-China sentiment in Korea over the elimination of the two Korean speedskaters and the survival of their Chinese rivals, as well as other cultural heritage controversies.
Samsung currently does not sponsor specific sports, but it is the only Korean company that has earned official sponsor status, having signed a contract with the International Olympic Committee. The company has been a corporate sponsor of the Olympics since the 1988 Seoul Games, where it started as a local partner. Since the 1998 Winter Games, the company has been a worldwide partner for the Olympics.
The lawmaker also overlooked the fact that there were companies that, in the name of corporate social responsibility, have supported various sports, enabling athletes playing in less popular sectors to stand shoulder to shoulder with overseas athletes at international sporting events such as the Olympics.
The history of Korean sports has developed based on the efforts of athletes, but it is hard for anyone to deny that corporate sponsorship has also played a significant part.
For instance, Korea has been a powerhouse country in archery since producing its first gold medal winner at the 1984 Games, and its ongoing strength has been possible thanks to the continuing sponsorship of Hyundai Motor Group. With the technical and financial support from the automotive group, Korean archers have won a total of 27 gold medals at the Olympics, including four gold medals at last year's event.
SK Group has likewise contributed to the development of fencing and handball, which were regarded as rather unpopular sporting events here in the past. SK Telecom, the group's telecommunications arm, has provided billions of won in financial support every year to the development of the country's fencing team, helping Korea become the best fencing nation in Asia. With this support, Korean fencers won one gold, one silver and three bronze medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
With regards to how important corporate sponsorship is in sports, players directly emphasize its significance and necessity.
Jung Chan-sung, a professional mixed martial arts fighter, announced Wednesday that he was chosen to be sponsored by domestic retail giant GS Retail. The fighter, widely known for his nickname, Korean Zombie, is scheduled to compete against Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title on April 9.
Although he is one of the most popular fighters here, Jung said that corporate sponsorship is urgently needed to set up an overseas training camp to improve his skills before the title match. The fighter thanked GS, saying that the company gave him "a helping hand."
"Thank you so much (to GS). I won't forget it. I really want to become a champion and set a good precedent. I want to make many martial arts players in Korea dream big," Jung said.
Although Korea's players clearly have benefited from corporate support and ask for more assistance in general, politicians should refrain from hastily blaming companies for their lack of sponsorship as the reasons behind the country failing to produce good results in sports.
