From weightlifting star to top sports administrator

Jang Mi-ran, new second vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, walks out of a car to enter the ministry building in Sejong, Tuesday, her first day at work. The weightlifting star joins the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, drawing excitement and concerns about her role as the top sports administrator. Yonhap

Ex-colleagues express trust in Jang amid leadership ability concerns

By Jung Min-ho

Both Park Jong-kil and Choi yoon-hui ― former athletes who both rose to the top post of sports administration in the past respectively ― vowed to bring hope to politics as they had done at the 1982 and 1986 Asian Games, only to eventually disappoint the public.

Jang Mi-ran, 39, only the third sports star to become the vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, aims to set the first successful precedent. Entering the ministry building in Sejong on Tuesday, her very first day on the job, she said she will deliver her utmost efforts to exceed all expectations.

As an athlete, Jang was the nation's biggest weightlifting star and is a certified legend. She held her World Championship title consecutively from 2005 to 2009 and won gold, silver and bronze medals at three different Olympics from 2004 to 2012. Throughout her 15-year career which ended in 2013, she was fearless and had no equal.

Jang Mi-ran, new second vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, poses as a government official takes a selfie with her at the government complex in Sejong, Tuesday, her first day at work. Courtesy of Culture, Sports and Tourism

However, critics say her athletic achievements hold little relevance to her current post, which chiefly requires challenging administrative roles that include communication with the press and the promotion of tourism.

A high-ranking official at an international sports organization, expressed his concerns, saying that her expertise is not aligned with what the job demands.

“As vice minister, she should be able to coordinate sporting events, which are often used as a form of diplomacy. She might encounter a situation in which she should deal with North Korea through, say, taekwondo matches,” an official, who declined to be named, told The Korea Times.

“I'm skeptical of her unproven capabilities as an administrator doing such work, although she may be a politically smart appointment for the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.”

Rep. An Min-suk of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea also expressed his doubts about her leadership, saying that it is unfortunate that sports stars like her are “wasted” for political purposes.

Nevertheless, those who have known her personally for many years, including her former colleagues at Yongin University, expressed trust in her, saying that the path she took, of undertaking a career in sports, shows her integrity and potential as an administrator.

Kim Jung-Heon, a professor of taekwondo studies at the school, who taught Jang when she was working on her Ph.D. in physical education there, said she was one of his best students.

“She was humble, passionate and very polite both as a student and a professor,” Kim said. “Unlike some other famous professional athletes who take my class, she was never late and did her best in all the assignments I gave her. She was a star and did not have to try her best, if getting the degree was the only thing she wanted. I was really impressed.”

Jang Mi-ran lifts 183 kilograms in the clean and jerk women's over 75-kilogram class at the Beijing Olympics in Beijing, in this Aug. 16, 2008 photo. Yonhap

After hanging up her gloves, she tried to discover and nurture young athletes, especially in less popular sports, through a foundation she set up in 2012 while studying and teaching at the college.

Jang may not have all the abilities required to serve in the government position, but she has the charm to attract people who do, Kim said.

“She can receive help from those who are willing and capable. Of course, she is not perfect. No one is,” he added.

Choi Jong-geun, the trainer behind her success and the head coach at the weightlifting team of Goyang City, said her Christian faith has always been an essential part of her life.

“She is very simple and ethical. She always strives for her goals within the rules. With such qualities, I think she has a chance, a good chance, at success in her new role,” he said.