Assemblyman Lee Byung-hoon: "National Team Training Allowance, Players Get 'Meager' While Coaches Get 'Generous'"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] As national team training was suspended due to COVID-19, concerns have been raised that the non-face-to-face training allowance system, which has been provided since June, is not being applied fairly to athletes and coaches.

According to Rep. Lee Byung-hoon (Democratic Party of Korea, Gwangju Dong-gu Nam-gu Eul) on the 15th, the Korea Sports Council currently pays national team athletes a daily allowance of 65,000 KRW, up to 1.3 million KRW per month, and coaches receive 5.5 million KRW for full-time and 4.5 million KRW for part-time positions, with an additional 800,000 KRW per month for performance improvement research funds.

However, the non-face-to-face training allowance being paid is strictly regulated for athletes and the amount is only at the minimum wage level.

In fact, according to the training allowance payment status data submitted by the Korea Sports Council, the payment of training allowances to athletes was suspended in April and May when training was halted due to COVID-19, but coaches and others continued to receive their training allowances normally.

Also, athletes are required to submit a daily training report including training photos every day, which must be signed by the coach and verified by the sport federation official to receive the allowance, whereas coaches only need to submit a formal monthly report.

Rep. Lee Byung-hoon said, “Even considering the difficulty of expecting thorough reports during the challenging COVID-19 situation, the coaches’ reports are too inadequate,” and added, “Since a considerable amount of money is being paid, more thorough management and supervision are necessary.”

He continued, “Not only full-time contracted coaches but also part-time coaches who have other jobs were receiving the training allowance properly,” and pointed out, “In a situation where national team training is not being conducted normally, they are earning additional income on top of their salaries from their workplaces.”

On the other hand, some athletes were unable to receive the allowance due to delays in forming the national team.

Professional sports such as baseball, soccer, and basketball did not form national teams, softball failed to secure Olympic qualification, and soft tennis did not hold national team selection matches, so they did not receive training allowances.

In winter sports like ice skating, short track and speed skating also did not hold selection matches and thus did not receive training allowances, and curling, which has recently become a popular sport, was also in a position where it could not receive training allowances until the selection matches scheduled for November were completed.

Rep. Lee explained that the difference in training allowance reception between coaches and athletes is largely due to differences in status.

Most coaches have labor contracts with their respective sport federations and can receive legal protection regarding contract matters. In contrast, athletes are forced to devote everything simply because they have been called as national representatives without separate contracts or measures to guarantee their status.

Rep. Lee emphasized, “Athletes are not the property of the country, the Korea Sports Council, teams, or coaches. They are individuals who deserve respect and valuable talents,” and added, “Along with establishing a sufficient social compensation system, it is necessary to improve legal systems that can guarantee the rights and interests of sportspeople.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.