SportBusiness.com

IOC looking into PyeongChang 2018 sponsorships

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) ethics commission is assessing whether two sponsorship deals of South Korean companies with international federations can give the PyeongChang bid an edge in the race for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

According to German news agency DPA, sanctions could include a reprimand or a warning.

Samsung Electronics has recently announced an agreement with rowing’s world governing body FISA and airline Korean Air has signed a deal with skating body ISU. Samsung is an Olympic TOP sponsor and IOC rules forbid it from engaging with bidding committees.

But Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun Hee was part of the PyeongChang bid presentation recently in Mexico, at Acapulco’s meeting of the Association of National Olympic Committees.

And PyeongChang bid chief Cho Yang Ho is also chief executive officer and chairman of Korean Air, an official bid sponsor.