Professor Jeon Myeong-gyu of the Ice Skating World Wins First Trial in Dismissal Cancellation Lawsuit

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Former professor Jeon Myeong-gyu (59), once called the godfather of the ice skating world and later accused of corruption, won the first trial in an administrative lawsuit he filed against Korea National Sport University (KNSU) to cancel his dismissal.

The Administrative Division 12 of the Seoul Administrative Court (Chief Judge Jeong Yong-seok) ruled on the 12th that Jeon’s lawsuit against KNSU to cancel his dismissal was partially in favor of the plaintiff.

The court canceled KNSU’s dismissal decision and ordered that out of the disciplinary fine of about 10 million KRW imposed on Jeon, only 5.94 million KRW remain, and the rest be canceled.

In 2018, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that an audit of the Korea Skating Union confirmed Jeon’s abuse of power; Jeon had served twice as vice president of the Korea Skating Union. Subsequently, based on the Ministry’s audit results and its own investigation, the Ministry of Education demanded severe disciplinary action from KNSU. Accordingly, KNSU held a disciplinary committee and recognized 11 disciplinary charges against Jeon, notifying him of dismissal and imposition of disciplinary fines in August 2019.

The court judged that among these disciplinary charges, four were not recognized and three were only partially recognized. It further stated, “Considering that a significant number of disciplinary charges are not recognized, and even if recognized, the plaintiff’s achievements and contributions to the ice skating world must be taken into account, and that the nationwide public outrage against the plaintiff formed through indiscriminate media coverage was excessively considered in the disciplinary decision, the dismissal is excessively harsh.”

Additionally, the court ruled that Jeon’s contacting and meeting with students who were victims of harsh treatment and sexual violence in January 2019, against the school’s policy, cannot be grounds for disciplinary action. The court reasoned that the isolation measures for the victims were invalid because they were not approved by the school’s faculty meeting.

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