Abstract

PURPOSE This study examines organizational autonomy through a public sports governance lens and diverse theoretical perspectives by discussing the longstanding conflicts between the Korea Sports Council and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST) in the context of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee’s (KSOC) reorientation under President Ryu Seung-min in 2025. METHODS This research adopted Verhoest et al.’s (2004) analytical framework of organizational autonomy to perform a comprehensive literature review that includes scholarly articles, government reports, public institution disclosure documents, and media sources. Expert meetings were also conducted using the naturalistic inquiry method to gather opinions. RESULTS First, this study redefined sport governance as a collaborative partnership between the government and public sport organizations rather than being based merely on traditional government-centric control. Second, public sport organizations’ organizational autonomy has five dimensions: managerial, structural, legal, interventional, and financial autonomy. Third, the KSOC shows high structural and legal autonomy, moderate managerial and interventional autonomy, and low financial autonomy. Fourth, the KSOC’s unique organizational attributes and history allow it to maintain a relatively higher autonomy compared with other public organizations. CONCLUSIONS Amid ongoing debate over its autonomy and independence, the KSOC must balance autonomy with accountability and foster stronger collaborative relations with the MCST to reassert its foundational mission as a public sport organization and help develop stronger and more effective public sport governance.