Businessman vs Administrator... What is the direction of Asian Taekwondo Head (ATU)?

The Asian Taekwondo Federation (ATU) presidential election, which will be held in Kuching, Malaysia on the 24th, is about 20 days away.

The election, which will be held during the "2025 Asian Youth Taekwondo Championship," is expected to be a bilateral competition between two candidates, Kim Sang-jin (former chairman of the Busan Taekwondo Association), who has served as ATU vice chairman, and Yang Jin-bang (chairman of the Korea Taekwondo Association).

The election has emerged as a hot topic of interest not only in the taekwondo community at home and abroad but also in the domestic sports industry because of the growing status of the Asian taekwondo community. ATU chairman not only represents 44 Asian member countries including Korea, China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines, but also represents Taekwondo people, which accounts for nearly 40 percent of the world's training population.

Kim Sang-jin has long expressed his intention to run for president. A longtime supporter of ATU Chairman Lee Gyu-seok, Kim is a businessman with a professional background who leads global shipbuilding and equipment companies. Marking its 23rd anniversary, the company is a mid-sized business that is seeking to export to the global market as well as domestic consumption in cooperation with Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.

People around him say that he is a businessman who is serious about globalizing Taekwondo. He has been agonizing over how to ensure that Taekwondo, the center of K-culture and Korean culture, is regarded as a respected value on the Asian and global stages for decades since his relationship with Taekwondo, including the head of the Taekwondo Association in Busan. His practical ability based on his natural personality as an entrepreneur is considered one of his biggest strengths.

His even support is another merit. Some of the best candidates in Korea are the current executive branch, including current ATU Chairman Lee Kyu-seok and ATU Executive Committee member Jung Kook-hyun, as well as former IOC Athletes Commission member Moon Dae-sung. Jung Kook-hyun, who was mentioned as a candidate for chairman, recently replaced Kim with a declaration of support. Hardy, president of the Iranian Taekwondo Association, and more than 20 heads of the association are also reportedly supporting Kim.

The competitor is Yang Jin-bang, chairman of the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA). In May, Yang officially announced his candidacy for the ATU presidential election at the first board meeting of the new executive branch since his second term as KTA president. Yang plans to run for the ATU presidential election and the WTO vice presidential election in October for the leadership of the World Taekwondo Federation (WT) after 2029.

Yang Jin-bang, a former professor at Yongin University (Department of Taekwondo and Gyeonggi Guidance), is considered one of the leading administrators in the taekwondo community. After serving as executive director and secretary-general of the Korea Taekwondo Association, he served as secretary-general of the Seoul headquarters of the World Taekwondo Federation. Having served as a director of Kukkiwon and the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation, he served as an administrator of four major Taekwondo organizations.

The gathering of opposing forces with the current ATU executive branch also raises expectations for Yang. Given that key figures in the current executive branch, including ATU Chairman Lee Kyu-seok, are indirectly helping the opponent's candidate Kim Sang-jin, some predict that how much the opposing forces within the ATU will be able to rally will be the biggest variable in the election of Yang.

Controversy over his "self-politics" is pointed out as a weakness. Having been re-elected as KTA chairman late last year, he has been emphasizing his "WTO leadership." Watchers say that he may be aiming for the next president after Cho Jung-won, chairman of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Taekwondo experts say that his job as KTA chairman is highly likely to be regarded as his personal greed.

The aspect of the election is 'close'. In the early days of the election campaign, candidate Yang Jin-bang seemed to be doing well on the back of his nomination, but as the election is imminent, candidate Kim Sang-jin's contribution to the ATU and development efforts are highlighted, it is said that he is showing a slight lead. Analysts say that this is the result of the recent spread of the ATU vision project announced by candidate Kim in the bilateral election without presenting policies or visions.

"Kim Sang-jin is expected to dominate the overall election by more than 10 votes," said a representative from the Korean taekwondo community, who asked not to be named. "However, some in the taekwondo community at home and abroad seem to believe that an ultra-close match of less than five votes could take place, citing WTO President Cho Jung-won's 'support' theory."

"Over the years, ATU member countries are in dire need of direct financial support due to the growing population and potential for growth in the Taekwondo industry," multiple overseas Taekwondo officials said. "The establishment of sound financial independence and support practice are the role of the new chairman to facilitate support for the hosting of the competition."

Meanwhile, the Asian Taekwondo Union is an international sports administrative organization that oversees taekwondo events in Asia, and the new ATU president will be decided according to a total of 68 votes, including 40 votes for delegates (presidents of each country's associations) and 28 votes for executive members in Kuching, Malaysia, on the 24th.

Senior Reporter Yoo Jeong-woo