Four South Korean Olympic medalists have applied for International Olympic Committee (IOC) membership candidacy, the country's top sports body announced Friday.
The Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) said former weightlifting champ Jang Mi-ran, reigning shooting gold medalist Jin Jong-oh, ex-table tennis champion Ryu Seung-min and fencing medalist Nam Hyun-hee have submitted their applications.
The KOC said it will choose one final candidate for a seat on the IOC's Athletes' Commission by mid-August. The IOC's deadline for candidate registration is Sept. 15.
Former Olympic taekwondo gold medalist Moon Dae-sung is currently serving on the commission for South Korea, and his eight-year term ends following the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics next year. Countries can each have one member on the commission.
Jang, 31, won silver in 2004 and gold in 2008 with a then-world record in the women's over-75kg class. She also won four world championships.
Jin, 35, is the most decorated pistol shooter from South Korea, having bagged three gold and two silver medals in the past three Summer Games. In 2012 in London, Jin swept up the men's 10m air pistol and 50m pistol titles.
Ryu, 32, won the 2004 Olympic gold in the men's singles, upsetting the then world No. 1 Wang Hao of China. He later added a team bronze in 2008 and a team silver in 2012.
Nam, 33, is the only one on the list without an Olympic gold, but the foil fencer grabbed silver in the individual event in 2008 and bronze in the team event four years later.
There are 15 members on the Athletes' Commission. Though they each have an eight-year term, they enjoy the same rights as other IOC members, including voting on Olympic host cities.
The election for new athlete members will take place during the Rio Games and four winners will be announced prior to the closing ceremony. (Yonhap)
