As the lone South Korean member of the decision-making body for the world swimming federation, veteran sports administrator Park Joo-hee tries to represent several different voices.
Only the third South Korean to be elected to the World Aquatics Bureau, Park wants to represent her country well. At the same time, she also speaks for the continent of Asia and for women in international swimming. Her expertise in anti-doping and sports medicine also make Park a valuable addition to World Aquatics.
"As a South Korean member of the bureau, I am obviously in a position to make the country's stance known on different issues, and at the same time, I listen to opinions from different corners of the world, and share them with South Korean officials back home," Park said Friday in an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Fukuoka, the Japanese host city of the World Aquatics Championships. This was Park's first world championships since her election to the bureau last December.
"I feel a sense of responsibility in these aspects," Park continued. "South Korean swimming officials have been doing excellent work so far. And now that I am on the bureau, I think I can offer them some help and contribute to forging mutually beneficial relationship (between World Aquatics and South Korea)."
Park, who has been in sports administration in different capacities for nearly two decades, said participating in her first World Aquatics Congress opened her eyes.
"My role here has given me an opportunity to meet with many different stakeholders in swimming," Park said. "In the past, I didn't know why some of the decisions were made in certain ways. I've now developed a deeper understanding of reasons behind decisions. Experiencing different things and connecting with different people have allowed me to grow on a personal level, too."
Park, one of nine new women added to the bureau last year, said World Aquatics is trying to create more opportunities for gender minorities and for athletes in developing countries.
At this year's Congress, World Aquatics unveiled plans to set up an "open category" for transgender swimmers on a trial basis, a year after voting to ban transgender women from competing in women's categories if they had transitioned after age 12.
Park said World Aquatics will also build development facilities in countries that lack proper swimming infrastructure.
When it comes to the gender issue, World Aquatics is trying to "strike a balance," Park said.
"We want to make sure we don't discriminate against anyone based on their sexual identity," she said. "At the same time, we don't want to take any steps that might hurt athletes that have been around. We shouldn't protect gender minorities at the expense of others. Everyone has rights that must be protected. The important thing is to find ways that bring everyone together."
Park said her objective is to find the right balance in her role on the World Aquatics Bureau.
"I've been given many opportunities to listen to voices of not just South Korea, but of Asia and women, among many other areas," she said. "The most important part of my job is to identify needs for different stakeholders and help them make good decisions or steer them in the right direction. Having someone on the executive body at World Aquatics can only help South Korean swimming. It's a great opportunity for me."
Park, 43, is the secretary general of the Seoul-based International Sport Strategy Foundation and a member of the Anti-Doping Commission at the Olympic Council of Asia. She has a Ph.D. in sports medicine and science from Kyung Hee University, and is an adjunct professor at Ewha Womans University, where she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees.
Park has served as the anti-doping manager for all major international sports events held in South Korea over the past decade or so, including the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2019 world swimming championships.
Park also worked as a doping control officer for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and a doping control venue manager during the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.
Source: Yonhap News Agency