news sports: Court of Arbitration for Sport Probe Seoul taekwondo
by johnnytalkback
Probe called for into taekwondo body
SEOUL, May 29 (Yonhap) — A trio of South Koreans have asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to look into alleged irregularities at the world taekwondo governing body following a labor dispute, their spokesman said Thursday.
혻 혻 “Two of them have unduly been fired by the World Taekwondo Federation,” said Lee Hang-jae, a labor activist, claiming the suitors received unfair treatment because of their history of forming a union at the Seoul-based federation that runs a small manpower pool.
혻혻 But the federation said it has yet to be notified of the case by the Switzerland-based tribunal, adding the three have already dropped their case at a local labor commission hearing. It also said the trio could be mounting a smear campaign aimed at undermining the sport’s international status.
혻혻 Lee said the probe, if begun, would also raise other issues, including an allegation that a senior federation official sought to bribe an International Olympic Committee member last year to help his boss rise to a similar post.
혻혻 Taekwondo, practiced by some 60 million people around the world according to the federation, has been an Olympic event since 2000. South Korea expects to win at least two gold medals in the sport in the coming Beijing Olympics.
혻혻 samkim@yna.co.kr
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