Juan Antonio Samaranch, the former president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has asked the Supreme Court for leniency in the case of IOC vice president Kim un-Yong, who faces charges of corruption.
Court sources said that Samaranch sent a letter asking the court to consider the fact that Kim is too old to be in prison and has contributed a great deal to Korea’s hosting of the 1988 Olympic Games.
Jang Ung, a North Korean member of the IOC, is also reported to have sent a letter to Kim to console him
According to sources Jang’s letter said that the North and South Olympic Committees benefited from Kim’s work, which was undertaken not for any commercial purposes but to improve inter-Korean relations.
