South Korean badminton player An Se-young recently drew attention with her candid remarks about the Badminton Korea Association’s management of players following her gold medal victory in women’s singles at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Adding to the discussion, lawyer Son Soo-ho of the law firm SON & Partners posted a notable message on Instagram.
On Aug 5., Son, who also serves as an examiner of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee’s regulations and an advisor to Incheon United Football Club, shared an image of a KakaoTalk profile named ‘An Se-young.’ He accompanied it with a caption that read, “Even the world’s strongest player has faced significant hardships. Please show your support so we can see changes and improvements.”
An Se-young’s remarks came after defeating China’s He Bingjiao in the women’s singles final at Arena Porte de La Chapelle in Paris. During a press conference, she expressed frustration with the national team’s handling of her knee injury, stating, “I was deeply disappointed with the national team amidst my injury situation. At this point, I don’t think I can continue with the national team.”
In response, Kim Hak-kyun, the head coach of the Korean national badminton team, spoke to the media, saying, “We had anticipated this since last year. An Se-young had mentioned she wouldn’t participate in the Olympics. We persuaded her to continue until after the Olympics, and we’ve come this far.” He suggested that the situation could potentially escalate into a legal dispute with the association.
As these statements and posts gained attention, speculation arose about a possible retirement announcement from An Se-young. There were also concerns about a potential legal conflict between her and the Badminton Korea Association.
To clarify her position, An Se-young posted on Instagram, stating, “I wanted to address issues related to player management, but I’m hurt once again by articles that seem to place blame elsewhere. This isn’t about me being exceptional; it’s about the need for proper protection and management of players. I wanted to highlight the importance of communication over exerting power. It’s disheartening to see sensationalized reports. Please don’t misinterpret my words as a desire to retire. I hope someone will consider and resolve the issues I’m raising.”
An Se-young sustained a torn knee ligament during the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games final against China’s Chen Yufei. Despite the injury, she continued to compete and ultimately secured the gold medal. Even after her injury, An Se-young participated in numerous international tournaments without sufficient rehabilitation time, still achieving remarkable results.
