"Chosenjin, I can't trust Korea." The Japanese president who relentlessly mocked them with such insults even faced 'stop-loss selling' in Japan... How serious was this 'shocking profanity'?

*This content was translated by AI.

Even in Japan, people are distancing themselves. Takahiro Kitano, former vice president of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), has resigned abruptly amid a scandal involving his derogatory remarks against Koreans, and even the JOC leadership has expressed regret.

Recently, the Japanese media outlet 'Daily' reported that JOC President Seiko Hashimoto stated during a regular press conference, "It is very regrettable for the JOC that the former vice president has resigned. We have accepted his intention to resign."

Previously, it was revealed that Kitano Jeon (Chairman) made inappropriate remarks during a session to hear the details regarding the issue of losing the qualification for the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics held in February due to administrative errors by the Japanese Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton Federation, which he led, sparking a controversy.

According to leaked audio data exposed by the Japanese media outlet 'Slow News', during a countermeasure meeting, when a director proposed improving the athlete support system, Kitano Jeon (Chairman) said, "Reporting results and analyzing them is something even an idiot or a Chosenjin could do," using racist slurs that insulted Koreans and caused international shock. As the situation escalated into an uncontrollable racial discrimination scandal violating the Olympic Charter, Kitano Jeon (Chairman) apologized and abruptly resigned from his position as Yeon Maeng (Chairman) and as JOC vice president on the 12th.

Regarding this scandal, Ha Si-mo-to (Chairman) stated, "Verification of the facts regarding the remarks is an internal matter for each sports organization, so the JOC cannot take any official stance," while also bowing his head and saying, "The JOC is also responsible for the sound operation of its affiliated organizations. The JOC will definitely work to restore trust for sound operations."

While the JOC leadership was busy expressing regret and drawing a line, the actual atmosphere among Japanese athletes locally was one of cynical reaction, saying "what was bound to happen, happened," and welcoming the end of Kitano Jeon (Chairman)'s autocratic rule. According to a report by Japanese media outlet 'TBS', Genji Murakami and Yoshihiro Kaneko, former Japanese bobsleigh representatives, revealed in a press conference, "Regardless of the discriminatory remarks exposed this time, we athletes have always been talking about how 'such a problem would eventually surface.' We understand that Kitano Jeon (Chairman) has often made discriminatory remarks targeting specific countries."

Kitano Jeon (Chairman) was a heavyweight in the Japanese winter sports scene who had monopolized his position for 14 years, exceeding the 12th-year term limit stipulated in the federation's bylaws. Even last month, he showed a double-faced attitude by directly visiting the 2018 PyeongChang Memorial Foundation in South Korea to discuss Japan-South Korea cooperation, yet it was revealed that internally, he had always dismissed South Korea's cooperation proposals, saying, "Korea cannot be trusted."

Japanese athletes are relieved by the news of the unilateral leader's resignation. Murakami said, "Now, there are colleagues who believe the federation will be normalized and are saying they will return to active duty once again," urging comprehensive reform.

Meanwhile, despite the disgraceful departure of the perpetrator and the condemnation from athletes in Japan, the Korea Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton Federation, the victimized party, showed a lukewarm attitude by only confirming that it received an apology letter from the Japanese side, leaving a sense of regret as it had no plans for an official additional statement or protest.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.