Nat'l badminton body rejects embezzlement allegations, threatens legal action

The beleaguered national governing body of badminton has pushed back against the embezzlement allegations recently raised by the sports ministry, threatening to take legal action in response.

The Badminton Korea Association released a statement late Friday, three days after the ministry of culture, sports and tourism announced interim results of its probe into the badminton body's administration.

The ministry launched the investigation last month after An Se-young, the women's singles gold medalist at the Paris Olympics, criticized the national federation's treatment of athletes and its overall operations.

In announcing interim findings, Lee Jung-woo, chief of the sports bureau at the ministry, mentioned potential misconduct by BKA President Kim Taek-gyu.

Kim is suspected of leading an improper distribution of 140 million won ($105,015) worth of sponsored goods without following official procedures, leading the ministry to believe Kim might have committed embezzlement and breach of trust, and then to report the case to the authorities.

On Friday, the BKA claimed the ministry didn't have enough evidence to bring such charges against Kim.

The association said most of the goods in question are shuttlecocks, and they were distributed properly. It also denied charges that Kim had received any illicit kickbacks in the process.

"To accuse an individual of embezzlement and breach of trust without definitive evidence is clearly an act of defamation. We will absolutely hold them legally responsible," the BKA's statement read. "Different institutions are taking shots at us based only on a few pieces of information, rather than looking at the overall picture of our policy and rules. Since we're fully cooperating with the ministry, we'd like to ask people to refrain from making assumptions or criticizing us without verifying facts."

Earlier Friday, four vice presidents of the BKA released a joint statement calling on Kim, executive director Kim Jong-woong and auditor Park Kye-ok to resign in light of the ministry's investigation.

The four vice presidents said allegations of embezzlement and workplace abuse against Kim Taek-gyu and Kim Jong-woong have given the BKA a black eye, and said Park should hold himself accountable for failing to identify questionable practices at the association.