Thomas Bach, chairman of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who was scheduled to visit Korea today (24th) to win the Seoul Peace Prize, canceled his visit to Korea.



Chairman Bach said yesterday afternoon, "Recently, the number of people infected with Corona 19 in Europe, especially Switzerland, has increased rapidly, making overseas travel seriously difficult, making it difficult to visit Seoul."



The two sides decided to hold the 15th Seoul Peace Awards ceremony online in Seoul on the afternoon of the 26th.



As Chairman Bach's visit to Korea was canceled, all schedules were missed, including meeting with President Moon Jae-in on the morning of the 26th and attending the 100th anniversary reception of the Korean Sports Association on the afternoon of the 27th.



On the surface, Chairman Bach cited the spread of Corona 19 as a reason for canceling the visit, but it was not physically impossible to visit Korea.



The domestic sports community analyzes that a number of complex factors contributed to the sudden cancellation of an already scheduled meeting with the head of state of the Republic of Korea.



An official of the Korean Sports Association said, "When Chairman Bach visits the Blue House, confusion over the person present is likely to continue and he thought he was being neglected."



As Chairman Bach is the head of the IOC, it is common sense that Lee Ki-heung and Yoo Seung-min are present, but they were omitted from the list.



In addition, even the chairman of the Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation, which hosts the awards, was finally excluded for uncomfortable reasons.



The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which is the ministry in charge, also decided that the 2nd Vice Minister Choi Yoon-hee would be present when it became difficult for Minister Park Yang-woo to attend the National Assembly audit on the 26th.



The long-standing conflict between the Ministry of Culture and Sports over the separation of the Korea Olympic Committee (KOC) is also considered as a factor for canceling the visit to Korea.



Although the Korea Sports Association strongly expressed its opposition to the separation of KOC, some members of the Democratic Party and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism are pushing for the separation of KOC, and a public hearing is scheduled for the National Assembly on November 5.



Some analysts say that excessive demands for interviews by political figures put a burden on Chairman Bach.



A member of the domestic sports industry said, "Even though Chairman Bach's schedule in Korea was already full, influential politicians kept asking for meals and interviews only a few days ago."



As Chairman Bach canceled his visit to Korea shortly before his departure, there are voices of concern that it could disrupt sports diplomacy in the future, including the promotion of the 2032 Seoul-Pyongyang joint Olympics.



(Photo = Courtesy of World Taekwondo Federation, Yonhap News)