[비즈한국] Starting May 12, 2026, individuals who have committed abuse against children, the disabled, or the elderly will be strictly restricted from returning to the field as sports instructors or obtaining new certifications. With the revised 'National Sports Promotion Act' now in full effect, an institutional framework to eradicate systemic human rights violations in the sports community has been established.
Expanding Qualification Restrictions from Sex Offenders to Abusers
Previously, instructor qualification restrictions only applied to those who had committed sexual violence crimes or sex crimes against children and adolescents. There was strong public demand to expand this scope to cover abuse in general. In particular, the death of a 3-year-old child at a taekwondo gym in Yangju, Gyeonggi-do, in July 2024 served as a decisive turning point for this legislation. Furthermore, a 2020 survey by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea revealed that 22.2% of disabled athletes had experienced abuse, including sexual violence.
In response, Representative Kim Ye-ji of the People Power Party sponsored the amendment to the National Sports Promotion Act in August 2024 to restrict the qualification of abuse offenders. The bill was passed by an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly plenary session on October 26, 2025, and takes effect today following a six-month grace period.
20-Year Qualification Ban and Mandatory Criminal Record Checks for Executives
The core of the amendment lies in the level of punishment. Those sentenced to imprisonment or harsher for abuse crimes against children, the disabled, or the elderly will be barred from obtaining instructor qualifications for 20 years after the completion of their sentence, or 10 years for fines. Additionally, organizations are now required to check the criminal records of prospective executives to fundamentally block the entry of unqualified individuals. △ The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee will request criminal background checks for its own executives and those of member sports associations; △ the Korea Paralympic Committee will do the same for its executives and those of its member associations; △ city/provincial sports associations and city/county/district sports associations will request checks for their respective executives, subject to the individual's consent, from the Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency. △ For executives of professional sports organizations, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism will directly request the criminal record checks.
Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Dae-hyun stated regarding the revision: “As the vulnerable members of our society can receive sports instruction with greater peace of mind, we expect active participation in public sports. Furthermore, having organizations managed by executives verified against major crimes will lead to more ethical and stable operations.” He added, however, that “as the strengthening of regulations cannot solve all problems, the sports community must also strive on its own to enhance social trust.”