Korea School Sports Association 

Founding Statement

“It is urgent to separate school sports from social sports as soon as possible and establish a bipartisan leadership system for both social and school sports.”

This is the commentary on a newspaper (the Kyunghyang Sinmun) in 1965 by professor In-beom Choi of the Ewha Womans University, who was also the Chairman of the Korea School Sports Association (KSSA). At that time, educators and professors including Choi had established KSSA to realize the educational value of school sports and held the National Student Sports Festival twice. It was the beginning of an integrated school sports and educational school sports club culture.

But that was it. In 1968, under the pressure of absolute power, KSSA was effectively absorbed and integrated into the Korean Sports Association. It was the beginning of the loss of the dream and educational value of school sports and the loss of autonomy. It was also the starting point of physical education teachers becoming powerless objects in charge of sports club administration rather than being the main agents of teaching.

In 1969, the number of students in elementary, middle, and high school sports team (Woon-dong-bu) was approximately 310,000, of which 22,000 were registered as student athletes, which was 13 times more than the number of students who did not register as student athletes. Students in Woon-dong-bu accounted for 9.6% of all students. As of 2023, there are 64,438 elementary, middle, and high school student athletes registered with the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee. This is 1.2% of all students. And all of them are students as well as registered athletes. 

The reason why the number of student athletes, which was 10 out of 100 half a century ago, has shrunk to 1 out of 100 as of 2023, the reason why student athletes naturally register as athletes and play in ‘their own league’, and the reason why Woon-dong-bu lose their educational orientation and physical education teachers lose their autonomy, all of this started when Woon-dong-bu became subordinate to elite sports.

Since then, many non-educational incidents that have occurred in Woon-dong-bu have been similar to incidents that occur in elite sports. In addition, the fact that Woon-dong-bu are subordinate to elite sports has been concealed, and Woon-dong-bu has been taken for granted as the source of athletes' supply for elite sports. Even now, Woon-dong-bu are producing many dropouts and losers, and the violation of the right to education that every human being should enjoy is being taken for granted.

Furthermore, it has been forgotten that the physical activities of the majority of students are the heaviest responsibility of school physical education. The right to sports activities, which are most important for the happy lives of adolescents in their growing, is being reduced and restricted. For them, Woon-dong-bu were places to avoid and ‘islands within the school.’

The disconnection between physical education classes, school sports clubs, and Woon-dong-bu is because Woon-dong-bu is subordinate to the elite sports. Now, Woon-dong-bu must break away from the elite sports and provide fun and enjoyment to all students. Thus, school sports must become the starting point of a new era of sports culture that practices the values of human dignity, respect, consideration, reciprocity, and cooperation.

To this end, the newly launched KSSA, which inherits the will of the school sports seniors, will move forward to realize the following school sports reform tasks.

First, it is the restoration of the philosophy of school sports. We aim to establish a structure in which the educational value of school sports and the dignified human rights of students start from school sports activities and circulate virtuously.

Second, we will restore the educational function of Woon-dong-bu. From player registration to competition hosting and athletic education advancement, we will return all processes subordinate to the elite sports to the educational subject, so that Woon-dong-bu can function as educational entities.

Third, we will achieve integration of school sports. Through the integration of school sports clubs and Woon-dong-bu, we will establish a system of diverse and multi-layered advanced-style extracurricular autonomous sports activities. Based on this, we will provide a foundation for participation and expansion comparable to advanced sports countries in the fields of recreational and elite sports.

Fourth, we will create school sports where physical education educators are the main characters. We will make enjoyable and happy school sports for and by all students, and where all students are the main characters, not competition for victory or superiority. We will make the right of educators.

This beginning will create a joyful and happy school environment through sports for all students living today. This will be the energy to grow into independent democratic citizens with healthy minds and bodies. We will create a new school sports culture so that youth who are struggling to fulfill their youthful potential for the college entrance exams can regain their vitality through sports and find their own dreams and visions. This will be the cornerstone and the light of a new and bright future for sports in this country. 

July 28, 2023

All founding members, Korea School Sports Association, 

Sports Human Rights Institute