Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Expulsion of Olympic judo star confirmed after statutory rape charge
Wang Ki-chun / Korea Times file
By Jung Min-ho
By Jung Min-ho
The Korea Judo Association (KJA) confirmed Wednesday that it had expelled Olympic star Wang Ki-chun over a statutory rape charge brought against him.
According to the governing body of the sport, Wang, 31, who has been indicted on a charge of sexually assaulting a teenage girl, did not file an appeal against its decision to ban him for life from the KIA by the deadline to do so.
The KIA's disciplinary committee unanimously decided on the penalty May 13 over his alleged conduct that undermined “the integrity and social standing of judo.” He had seven days to lodge an appeal.
He has also been stripped of his black belt.
Wang, who started judo in 1995, rose to stardom after winning a gold medal in the under-73kg division at the 2007 World Judo Championship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The next year ― despite a ribcage fracture ― he surprised the world by winning silver at the Beijing Olympics.