IOC member convicted of embezzlement and fraud

President of the International Judo Federation and member of the IOC, Yong-sung Park, has been convicted of embezzlement and fraud by a court in South Korea.

Last week Park was given a three year suspended jail sentence and a fine of 8.2 million US dollars, and whilst Park has given up all public posts in South Korea, he has said that he has no plans to quit his IOC membership or other international posts.

Yong-sung Park and three of his brothers were charged with pocketing more than 33 million US dollars from the family owned Doosan conglomerate. The brothers were also standing trial for an accounting fraud that inflated the company's sales figures by 292 million US dollars.

In November last year, Yong-sung Park stepped down as chairman of both the Doosan Group and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). But he still holds a string of international posts including those as president of the International Judo Federation and chairman of the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce.

IOC has launched investigation
The IOC's Ethics Commission has launched an investigation into the affair, confirms IOC Communication Manager, Emmanuelle Moreau. The commission is currently studying documents in the case but it is too early to say when a decision will be reached.

However, if earlier decisions by the IOC's Ethics Committee ar anything to go by, Yong-sung Park could soon find himself suspended. In November last year, the Ethic's Committee suspended the French IOC member, Guy Drut, after he received a 15 months suspended jail sentence and a fine for holding a fictitious job.

The IOC Ethics Commission also looked into the matter of Yong-sung Park in November last year but at that time deferred making a recommendation to the IOC Excutive Board until the court in South Korea had reached a decision.

No comments
Play the Game has approached the International Judo Federation and the International Chamber of Commerce to find out if Yong-sung Park's conviction will have any consequences for his position within the respective organisations.

So far the International Judo Federation has not replied to our questions. The International Chamber of Commerce with 8.000 members in approximately 140 countries and a strong profile on anti-corruption says it has no comments on the matter. The websites of the two organisations do not make any references to the case either.