The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) has apologized for inappropriate remarks made by its secretary-general to the family of a middle school boxer who remains unconscious following an accident during a 2025 boxing tournament.
KSOC President Ryu Seung-min said in a statement on the 30th: "No value is more important than an athlete's life and safety, and consolation and empathy must come first in any situation." He added, "I will visit the athlete and his parents in person to offer a sincere apology, and the committee will pursue every possible measure to help the athlete fully recover."
The student, identified only as A, who attends a middle school in Muan County, South Jeolla Province, was struck by a punch and lost consciousness during the 55th Presidential Cup National Boxing Championships held in Seogwipo, Jeju, in September 2025.
At the time, a private ambulance rather than a 119 emergency ambulance was on standby at the venue, and controversy arose after the ambulance reportedly lost its way during transport, causing the "golden hour" to be missed due to inadequate emergency response.
A was taken to Seogwipo Medical Center for surgery but has remained unconscious for the past eight months.
An internal investigation by the KSOC at the time found that the Korea Boxing Association had fallen short in tournament safety management and had failed to properly follow emergency transport protocols and tournament regulations.
Jeju police have booked officials of the Korea Boxing Association in connection with the 2025 accident and are currently investigating.
Secretary-General Kim Na-mi, who initially told A's parents immediately after the accident that the committee would "take 100% responsibility," later reversed her position, refused support, and made inappropriate remarks.
According to a recording reported by Mokpo MBC, Kim said of A's condition: "The child had no chance from the beginning. He is already brain dead. The probability of him waking up now is..." — characterizing a condition that even medical staff had not definitively determined.
She went on to make remarks that appeared to suggest organ donation, saying, "We really don't want to compare it to such things, but at a marathon event, someone died in an accident, and the family donated the organs."
When the victim's parents attempted to record the conversation in preparation for any eventuality, she also said, "I felt very offended, to the point of wondering whether they were trying to cash in on what happened to their son."
As the remarks became public and controversy grew, the KSOC held an emergency meeting that day to discuss the matter. KSOC President Ryu Seung-min, who was abroad attending the 6th Sanya Asian Beach Games, also decided to cut short his schedule and return home.
The KSOC said, "We express deep regret regarding the content of the secretary-general's interview recently reported by the media, and we sincerely apologize to the athlete and family who have been deeply hurt by this incident, as well as to the public who felt disappointed." It continued, "The inappropriate remarks made during the secretary-general's interview cannot be justified for any reason. We gravely recognize this as a very serious matter that betrayed our responsibility as a public institution tasked with prioritizing the protection of athletes' lives and safety." The committee added, "Taking this incident as an opportunity, we will thoroughly reexamine our internal and external communication processes and management systems, and will make improvements to prevent similar cases from recurring."
