Bullying scandal leads to NEPA boycott
Kim Bo-reum from NEPA TV commercial
By Ko Dong-hwan
After South Korean speed skater Kim Bo-reum was savagely criticized for ditching her compatriot during a race at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, her sponsor also hit problems, losing customers quickly.
, the South Korean sportswear and hiking brand that sponsored Kim, has become a boycott target as fans ― enraged at Kim’s actions during the women's team pursuit quarterfinals and her controversial interview after the race ― showed their anger.
In addition to signing a petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website to disqualify Kim as a national athlete ― which garnered more than 550,000 signatures by Feb. 22 ― South Koreans rushed to NEPA’s website and social media and demanded the company end its sponsorship of Kim.
For NEPA, the outcry against Kim that spread to the company came out of the blue. The company supported Kim after her good performances in global tournaments before the PyeongChang Olympics.
Seeing her potential, the company decided to sponsor her. It was NEPA’s first sponsorship of an Olympic athlete.
“It was a good opportunity for us to promote our products’ functionality as an outdoor brand,” a company official said. “It is regretful the controversy has ballooned to this level.”
In the controversial race on Feb. 19, Kim and Park Ji-woo crossed the finish line almost at the same time with third racer Noh Seon-yeong far behind.
The race, broadcast live on national TV, raised questions from many people, including a commentator for South Korean TV broadcaster SBS, about why Kim and Park left Noh behind.
What fueled the public anger was Kim’s interview immediately after the race.
Kim said, smirking, “We were skating well, but the last skater couldn't keep up and we had a disappointing score.”
Park also said, “I was shocked when I crossed the finish line, because that's when I realized Noh was not with us."
NEPA said after the race that the company would not renew Kim’s contract when it expires at the end of February.
In contrast, CJ Group and Shinsegae Group ― South Korean conglomerates that sponsored athletes such as skeleton competitor Yun Sung-bin and the women’s curling team ― hit the jackpot as their athletes turned in outstanding performances.
Signing an official sponsorship with the Korea Curling Federation, Shinsegae offered 10 billion won for the curling team. The team, making its Olympic debut, ranked first after the preliminaries, and finished with silver.
CJ has financially supported Yun, who won South Korea’s first gold in a sled event.
Unlike the past, when companies aimed solely for self-promotion through their sponsorships of popular athletes, sponsorships today are part of corporate social responsibility, supporting non-mainstream sports and nurturing their athletes.
Corporate sponsorships now “contribute to expanding sports infrastructure and improving their environments so more athletes can train and compete in better shape,” according to reports.