National Assembly passes National Sports Promotion Act amendment

South Korea's National Assembly passed an amendment to the National Sports Promotion Act at a plenary session on December 31, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced¹. The amendment expands the role of the Sports Ethics Center and restructures how the national sports betting operator issues its products.

Previously they could not request a review of a dismissal or rejection¹. The center can now also request disciplinary action against people who violate athletes' human rights or commit sports corruption, separating penalties into minor and major categories¹.

If a sports organization does not carry out a disciplinary or system improvement demand, the center can request corrective or follow-up measures¹. If the organization still does not comply, central government ministries, including the culture ministry, and local governments can restrict financial support to that organization for up to two years¹. The amendment also lets the center demand discipline directly from sports organizations without going through the culture ministry, shortening the administrative process¹.

It also adds "sports industry promotion" to the corporation's statutory duties, strengthening the legal basis for that work¹.

What it means for players

The amendment does not change what betting products are legal in South Korea or who may use them. The law also touches the National Sports Promotion Fund, which the minister said the amendment helps secure stably¹. For anyone betting on sports in the country, the practical effect described in the reporting is organizational: the same operator's business sits in a new corporate entity rather than changing the rules on who can bet or where. The objection and discipline provisions concern athletes, whistleblowers and sports organizations, not bettors. Details such as licensing terms, product offerings or how the subsidiary will operate have not been reported.

What happens next

The culture ministry said it will make full preparations to implement the law¹. No date has been reported for when the objection procedure and the revised disciplinary powers take effect.