The Paris Summer Olympics opened on July 26, 2024. However, expectations are not high among the Korean public. The most popular ball games have failed to advance to the finals. The men's soccer team, which had advanced to the Olympics nine consecutive times since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, has failed to make it to the Olympics for the first time in 40 years. Among the eight ball games (handball, water polo, basketball, hockey, soccer, rugby, and volleyball) to be held at the Paris Olympics, women’s handball is the only event in which South Korea is participating.

 Since the second half of the 20th century, the Republic of Korea has firmly established itself as a sports powerhouse. Through constant effort and investment, South Korea has achieved remarkable results in international competitions and has made a name for itself on the global sports stage. In particular, good performances at international competitions such as the Olympics and the World Cup have significantly contributed greatly to elevating the status of Korean sports. The remarkable growth of Korean sports has not been based solely on a passion for victory. It can be said to be a valuable result of the constant training, innovation, and dedication of the athletes. We are a sports powerhouse in the world, given that we produced a miracle in the 2002 World Cup and have consistently maintained a record of 10th place or higher among the leading countries in the Olympics. Yet, contrary to the glorious appearance, something was always festering inside.

 Like the ongoing controversy over the Korea Football Association (KFA) issue in recent years, Korean sports have suffered from various forms of corruption. Reports of match-fixing, solicitation, irregularities, and internal disputes within the sports community have raised eyebrows. In the meantime, several promising sports players have been dismissed, and the pace of development in Korean sports has slowed down. Korean sports need change and reform. If no measures are taken, the Korean sports community will falter.

 Corruption within the sports world, especially in the selection of national team members, needs to be urgently resolved. Archery in Korea is famous for its strict selection of national team members, so gold medalists from the previous competition cannot be selected for the next competition. If archery's representative selection method is used as a benchmark, other sports will be able to escape corruption and establish a fair selection process. The method of selecting the national archery team is only through competition; there are no recommendations of athletes. Therefore, even former Olympic gold medalists are not guaranteed to participate in the next competition. In addition, to eliminate factions, the association has directly fostered and managed athletes from an early age. This method of the archery association presents a direction for the Korean sports community to improve.

 Despite its relatively small land area and small population, Korea has always shown competitiveness in world competitions and has grown into a sports powerhouse. The future of Korean sports looked bright. However, the background was not so bright. Competent players were not selected for the national team because someone determined the outcome of the match with money. In one case, someone even managed the association on their own. If they are afraid of change, the glory of Korean sports will remain in the past. Korean sports must change.

80th Reporter • CHOI JUN HONG • chloi0058@naver.com