NEST to Become KSC’s Affiliate Organization

After triggering controversy over creating unnecessary positions to favor particular persons, the Next generation Sport Talent (NEST) of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) became incorporated into the Korea Sports Council (KSC) as one of its affiliated organizations.

On April 11, the KSC announced its final agreement with the MCT stating that NEST will be monitored and supervised by the KSC by revising its statute, registering itself as a special affiliated organization, and having its director general position recommended by the KSC.

Major points of agreements include: (a) NEST shifting from pushing for projects on its own to supporting sport organizations; (b) It is clarified that prior consent of the KSC chairman is needed before carrying out NEST projects; (c) Six out of 11 directors of NEST are recommended by the chairman of the KSC; and (d) The chairman of NEST is recommended by the KSC chairman and elected by the board of directors.

NEST is an organization established in this January by the MCT with an aim of independently appropriating budgets within the 10-percent range of profits from the “Sports Toto” lottery game to nurture sport talents. It has secured 20 billion won as this year’s budget; every year, around 10 billion won in Sports Toto profits will be accumulated. In the process of its establishment, however, NEST did not have any prior consultation with Chairman Kim Jeong-gil of the KSC. In addition, there has been controversy over “kindness-repaying appointment,” as former MCT Vice Minister Bae Jong-shin was appointed as the first director general of the organization.

“It is encouraging that NEST became a special affiliate organization under the KSC, but the fact that its budget outnumbers that of the KSC might be a source of future conflict,” indicated a KSC official.

beetlez@donga.com