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| Samsung Lions manager Ryu Joong-il apologizes for his players' alleged overseas gambling during a pre-game media day event at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Design Center, on Oct. 25. / Yonhap |
By Nam Hyun-woo
As Korea's sports community suffers through a string of recent acts of misconduct by athletes and coaches, concerns have been raised about their ethics.
As their misconduct ― including gambling, which is illegal for Koreans anywhere except in Gangwonland ― match-fixing, controversial social network service postings and unpaid debts ― continue to make news, concerns are growing that some athletes' wrongdoings will tarnish the reputation of the entire sports community.
Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League giants the Samsung Lions apologized to the public on Oct. 20 after a report that three Lions players were under investigation for gambling overseas. The three players ― Yun Sung-hwan, Lim Chang-yong and An Ji-man ― were left off the club's Korean Series championship squad, which subsequently allowed the Doosan Bears to snatch away the championship title they had held for the four previous seasons.
Police are reportedly questioning two of the three players for gambling in Macau.
Another misconduct in baseball was done by the KT Wiz's Jang Sung-woo, who was heavily criticized for a social network article, posted by a user claiming she was Jang's ex-girlfriend. In the article, which contained captured images of Jang's mobile messenger conversation with her, Jang made comments that sexually defamed several women, including a Lotte Giants cheerleader.
As the controversy grew, the KT Wiz suspended Jang from 50 games and slapped him with a 20 million won fine. The KBO also ordered him to do 240 hours of community service. The cheerleader also filed suit against Jang for defamation.
The sport that has suffered most is basketball. Despite the opening of a new Korean Basketball League (KBL) season two months ago, more headlines were focused on players who were kicked out of the league after being investigated in connection with gambling.
On Oct. 29, the KBL said it had expelled three players for involvement in illegal sports gambling. The three players were Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus' Shin Jung-sup, and Wonju Dongbu Promy's Ahn Jae-wook and Lee Dong-gun. Also, one of the biggest stars of the KBL, Kim Sun-hyung of the Seoul SK Knights, was suspended from 20 games and ordered to do 120 hours of community service, while a handful of other players were punished.
Those cases started with the police probe of former Anyang KGC coach Chun Chang-jin for suspicion of match-fixing. Chun was banned from the KBO in September for an undetermined period.
Mixed martial arts fighter Choi Hong-man also saw his reputation tarnished as prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for him on Oct. 26 for allegedly not paying millions of won to his acquaintances. He later appeared before the prosecution and reportedly said, "The debt can be settled if I can fight two matches."
Critics say such failures derive from the fact that athletes oftentimes do not realize how seriously their misconduct can affect their careers.
"When you look into the cases of athletes disgraced for various scandals, including illegal gambling, they often say their senior athletes deluded them to do so," said Professor Chang Yoon-chang of the physical education department at Kyonggi University. "Since those seniors are close to the athletes, they oftentimes were tempted into doing illegal gambling or other misconducts, failing to see the danger."
Chang stressed the necessity of education, but added that education programs should be developed by former athletes or those involved in the sports community.
"Whenever athletes' misconduct scandals hit the country, there always were calls for education. However, there is limitation to the existing education programs, which fail to reflect the reality that athletes are facing every day.
"Athletes know their world the best. So it is clear that those who are aware of their world should develop more tailored education programs," Chang said.
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