South Korean official Kim Jae-youl is set to stand for the ISU Presidency at the Congress in June ©Getty Images

International Skating Union (ISU) Council member Kim Jae-youl is set to run for President at the Congress in June, with Jan Dijkema stepping down after six years at the helm.

South Korean official Kim was a member of the International Olympic Committee's Coordination Commission for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, having served as an executive vice-president on the Organising Committee for Pyeongchang 2018.

Kim served as Korea Skating Union (KSU) President from 2011 to 2016, after which he was elected to the ISU Council.

He has also held the vice-chairman post of Korean Sport and Olympic Committee, and is the son-in-law of the late Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee, who was an honorary International Olympic Committee member at the time of his death in 2020.

Kim is Samsung Global Strategy Group President, and claimed that his experience made him well-suited to developing skating should he be elected to head up the ISU.

"I am a huge fan of skating," the 53-year-old said, as reported by The Korea Times.

"It was my first winter sport, as it is with many people around the world.

"But skating faces challenges with stalled revenues and increased competition.

"To ignite the sport's full potential and reach new fans and markets, the next ISU president must have a long-term strategic plan for growth and the business acumen to implement this plan.

"I believe that my background of 25 years in global business coupled with experience working with media and commercial partners have prepared me to take on this role."

Dutch official Jan Dijkema is set to step down as ISU President after six years at the helm ©Getty Images
Dutch official Jan Dijkema is set to step down as ISU President after six years at the helm ©Getty Images

Kim's candidacy has been endorsed by the KSU, whose President Yoon Hong-geun underlined his business credentials.

"We are fully confident that his extensive experience in global business will help take the ISU and skating to another level of expansion and popularity," Yoon said, quoted by The Korea Times.

Dijkema of The Netherlands is to step down as ISU President at the Congress in Phuket from June 6 to 10, having held the role since 2016.

A vote is also expected to take place on whether to raise the minimum age limit in figure skating to 17.

This follows the controversy at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, where 15-year-old Russian Olympic Committee skater Kamila Valieva was at the centre of a doping scandal.