In this file photo from Oct. 22, Lee Kee-heung, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, listens to a question from a lawmaker during a parliamentary audit at the National Assembly in Seoul. (Yonhap)

The incumbent South Korean Olympic chief Lee Kee-heung was granted an opportunity to run for a third term on Tuesday, despite the cloud of a recent government-issued suspension looming large over his head.

The Commission for Fair Play in Sport at the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) approved Lee's application to run for a third term as head of the KSOC on Jan. 14, 2025.

Lee, 69, was first elected to the top KSOC post in September 2016 and won reelection in 2021. Per KSOC statutes, its president may run for a second term without restrictions, but a bid for a third term must be approved by the Commission for Fair Play in Sport.

The subcommission's deliberation began less than 24 hours after the sports ministry decided to suspend Lee's duties as the KSOC's president. On Sunday, the ethics inspection team under the Office for Government Policy Coordination had announced that it would ask police to investigate Lee and a few other sports officials for apparent misconduct.

Lee has filed for a court injunction to nullify the ministry's suspension. He may still run for president while under suspension.

Lee traveled to Switzerland this week for the World Union of Olympic Cities Sport Summit and is scheduled to return home Thursday.

Among the criteria for the subcommission's evaluation for Lee's bid were his contribution to the KSOC's finances, integrity in his operations of the organization and his effort to maintain high ethical standards as the top executive.

Subcommission members also looked into Lee's vision to develop a wide range of sports and sports across different regions of the country and his role as a member of an international sports body. Lee was elected to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2019.

Before the subcommission's meeting began, members of the KSOC's labor union picketed outside the conference room at the Olympic Centre in southeastern Seoul, calling for a fair evaluation by the subcommission and demanding Lee's resignation.

After the ministry suspended Lee, an official there claimed that the decision did not have anything to do with the upcoming KSOC election. The official said the ministry simply followed laws that allow it to discipline heads of public institutions over improper conduct.

Lee was accused by the government inspectors of ordering the relaxation of job requirements at the Jincheon National Training Center in order to hire a friend of his daughter, and also of bypassing an internal report to lower the applicant's salary and replacing an official who opposed Lee's hiring plan.

The government inspectors also found that Lee had approved a plan to ask the head of a national sports governing body to pay for equipment provided to South Korean Olympic athletes, worth some 80 million won ($56,890). The person who made the payment on the KSOC's behalf was a longtime associate of Lee's and had expressed an interest in securing a key position with South Korea's delegation to the Paris Olympics. The government inspectors said the person ended up getting the job he wanted.

According to the inspectors, Lee is also believed to have distributed sponsored goods, including mobile phones, shoes and sunglasses, to his friends and acquaintances without keeping proper records.

The inspectors claimed KSOC employees did not cooperate with the probe, saying some intentionally removed computer hard drives and refused to submit information requested by the government team.

The KSOC rejected these findings and accused the government of illegally meddling with the KSOC presidential election.

It said its employees had been under duress because of multiple, simultaneous audits for three months following the Paris Olympics, which resulted in inadequate responses to some of the government's requests.

The KSOC then asked for a more thorough reinvestigation and vowed to fully cooperate with any upcoming probe.

Later Tuesday, the sports ministry condemned the KSOC subcommission's decision to clear the path for Lee.

In a statement, the ministry said it had earlier pointed out the composition of the subcommission could jeopardize its integrity and transparency. Kim Byoung-chul, head of the subcommission, served as Lee's special assistant from 2017 to 2019.

"We express our deep regret that the KSOC pushed ahead with its deliberation and reached this conclusion without accepting our criticism of its Commission for Fair Play in Sport," the ministry said.

"We have concluded that we can no longer expect fairness from the KSOC, nor do we expect it to get its act together on its own. We will take all corresponding administrative and financial steps against the KSOC for its unfair practices."

The ministry added it will start asking independent organizations to review applications for consecutive terms by heads of sports governing bodies.

Lee's status as KSOC president is also tied to his IOC membership.

Lee was elected to the IOC in 2019 in his capacity as head of his national Olympic body. He must remain as KSOC president to retain his IOC membership, but his IOC term is set to expire next year regardless.

The age limit for IOC members is set at 70, and their terms are to end on the final day of the year in which they turn 70. Lee turns 70 in January 2025.

A one-time extension of the term, for a maximum of four years beyond 70, can be granted upon recommendation by the IOC Executive Board, but such extensions are mostly given to those deemed to have made special contributions to the Olympic Movement. (Yonhap)