[On-site connection] Results of Ahn Se-young’s direct hit… Final announcement of audit of Badminton Association of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is announcing the final results of the audit conducted over two months against the Korea Badminton Association. This is also the result of Ahn Se-young’s determination statement right after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Let’s listen to the announcement directly. [Lee Jeong-woo / Director of Sports Bureau of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism] We will announce the final results of the investigation of the Korea Badminton Association. Following the interview with Ahn Se-young, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism formed an investigation team on August 10 and investigated five areas: support for the national team, unreasonable system improvement, details of support business implementation, actual state of operation of the association, and workplace bullying within the association. During the investigation, we listened to the individual opinions of 36 out of the 51 national team players, including Coach Kim Hak-gyun and Ahn Se-young. The remaining 15 were unable to participate due to international competitions, preparations for the National Sports Festival, and personal reasons. As a result of listening to the opinions of the players, what the players wanted was not much different from Ahn Se-young. In order to support the national team and improve the unreasonable system, we collected individual opinions from marketing experts, officials of the Korea Professional Badminton Federation, officials of professional teams, and former national team players. The investigation team also conducted a face-to-face investigation of association officials except for Chairman Kim Taek-gyu. Chairman Kim expressed his refusal during the face-to-face investigation on September 26. The investigation team extended the investigation period from October 11 to October 31 and requested Chairman Kim to appear several times, but ultimately failed to conduct a face-to-face investigation during the investigation period. Chairman Kim will be given the opportunity to submit his opinion within the one-month objection period given after the investigation results are notified. I will announce the main investigation results. I will explain the matters announced at the interim briefing on September 10, focusing on the results of the measures taken. We will reflect the opinions of the national badminton team as much as possible to innovate old practices and significantly expand support for the national team. First, we will significantly improve the injury management system for players. First, we will guarantee individual players’ right to choose from injury diagnosis to rehabilitation treatment. Currently, there are no clear regulations and decisions are made on an as-needed basis. In the future, players will receive injury management at the medical institution of their choice. Second, we will expand the medical staff and space at the Jincheon National Athletes’ Village. Currently, there is a shortage of medical support compared to national athletes, so there are cases of crowding at certain times or delays in treatment. Starting next year, national athletes will be able to receive medical checkups immediately after being selected as national athletes, just like professional sports athletes. Based on this, we will ensure that athletes receive management according to their physical condition. Third, we will improve the absurd culture related to life in the athletes’ village. National badminton athletes were extremely restricted from going out and staying out on public holidays and weekends. It is a human rights issue to not be allowed to go out even when there is no training. In the future, we will improve the system so that going out and staying out is permitted in principle and can only be restricted when there is a special reason, such as an imminent international competition or an infectious disease. We will eliminate absurdities such as cleaning, laundry, and reporting when going out. After Ahn Se-young’s suggestion in April of this year, such practices were eliminated within the women’s team, but we confirmed that they still remain within the men’s team. The Korean Sports Council also revised the national team intensive training operation guidelines at the end of September to prohibit personal business instructions. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will conduct a full-scale monitoring and inspection of all national team players every six months starting next year. We will abolish the mandatory dawn training and mountain training in the athlete village starting in April 2023. Players were more concerned about the risk of injury than the effectiveness of the training. In the future, we will change the time zone so that each team can train according to their situation. Fourth, we will mobilize national team coaches and strengthen sports science support so that national badminton team players can systematically and scientifically conduct singles and doubles customized training. Coaching staff...▣ Subscribe to Yonhap News TV YouTube channel https://goo.gl/VuCJMi ▣ Yonhap News TV, the beginning of Korean news http://www.yonhapnewstv.co.kr/