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.
Ex-basketball star criticizes WKBL
By Jung Min-ho
The failure of the Korean women’s basketball team to earn an Olympic berth after a disastrous defeat against Japan on Sunday shocked and disappointed fans. But former basketball superstar Jung Sun-min said there may be more bad news ahead.
“I was so sad and angry over the disappointing outcome. Our players were not prepared for the game physically or mentally and it was obvious throughout the match,” Jung said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. “However, it really is not just their fault, regarding the fact that Women’s Korean Basketball League (WKBL) also failed to provide a favorable environment for them to focus on training in face of an important event.”
The SBS ESPN basketball commentator, who retired from the court in April, pointed out that all the ongoing issues in WKBL, such as an absence of leadership, the recent break-up of the Shinsegae Coolcat, and the controversy over appointing the national team manager in April, came to a head in the game, saying “The WKBL must get back on the right track as soon as possible to prevent bigger tragedies.”
The WKBL’s biggest concern now is an absence of guidance since former Commissioner Kim Won-kil stepped down last month after the organization’s core leaders like executive director Kim Dong-wook and secretary-general Lee Myung-ho left. Although it has been looking for a new leader to try and restore the old glory of women’s basketball, which won a silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, little progress has been made. Its administration remains almost paralyzed and executive positions are still vacant.
The sudden break-up of the Coolcat this spring and difficulties in finding a new owner for the team signaled a bleak future for the WKBL, and maybe contributed to the failure to reach the London Games. The issue hasn’t been resolved yet. If a company doesn’t step in to take over the Coolcat by October, fans are likely to see the start of the season delayed or a league with only five clubs. Because there are many potential problems of running the league with an odd number teams such as fewer matches between rivals and more unnecessary rest days, concerns are expected to mount.
The controversy over appointing Samsung Life’s manager Lee Ho-keun as Olympic team manager over Lim Dal-shik who led the Shinhan Bank S-Birds to last season’s title, was also was a negative factor, the 37-year-old commentator said. Traditionally, the manager of the reigning champions has led the Olympic side. Jung claims this move provoked mixed feelings within the WKBL and the unexpected decision caused confusion among the players.
“The WKBL needs to keep their priorities straight in all they do. The current situation isn’t very optimistic,” she said.