Here's a couple of quite interesting quotes from an NTV+ commentator Vasiliy Soloviev (the man who usually comments together with TAT) taken from his personal website (http://www.solovieff.ru/).

(Someone asks him if TAT thinks that Rochette is overscored by judges, because it seems that Tatiana usually talks about Rochette somewhat reservedly.)
- "It seems to me Tatiana Anatolievna does this intentionally, because sport-wise it's unpleasant for her that in the end everything will come down to some backstage games and judging issues. I always feel that Tarasova tries to beat everyone along the sport line, so that no judge could rise a hand on any of her students. I don't believe that so many victories came to her as the result of intrigues. She herself usually talks very sceptically about intriguers (won't tell about whom exactly): '[He/she] works with judges - [he/she] won't be great!'"

(From his blog post about if Mao really underrotated her 3F in the 3F-2L combo at the WTT's Free Skate.)
- "...During the replay it may be seen (at least for me) that Mao underrotated not more than a quarter of a turn.
It should be said that judges also have a slow motion replay, therefore basically they saw the same as we, just from somewhat another angle. We could assume that jumps are many while technical panel consists of just three people, and their eyes got blurred. But that would be a bad excuse, since there's no more interesting confrontation in the world right now than the one of Asada - Kim. It could be compared with the greatest duels of figure skating, including the one between Yagudin and Plushenko. That's why I'm sure the judges thought over Mao's skate very carefully, as well as over every of her jumps.
Considering the fact that the competition was held in Japan, to put Mao an underrotation - this should've been a strong, resolute and well thought out decision. Thus, one either should've been sure that it was really a serious underrotation, or guided by some other motives. Among which could be certain undercover games between federations or between coaches. Given the fact that due to this underrotation Mao Asada lost to Yu-na Kim again (even though not directly), this judges' decision about the flip could have had a very important strategic meaning".
Then he says that this is just an assumption and asks his readers to express their own opinion on the matter. While (by his words) TAT herself was sincerely surprised when they issued an underrotation to Mao there.

Back on his forum he touches several times the topic about how federations and coaches relentlessly struggle with each other, and how much depends on this struggle, while results of the competitions less and less depend on actual skating.

I want to believe that in Vacouver will be a fair judged, but in fact if I was an isu official and I must benefit to someone, I should chose to yuna "to benefit the sport" .

may be the judges just are bored and tired, may be they don´t put too atention to judge, like we all (obssesive fans) do it .

Like TAT always says - you should be on a head above to win. Remember 2002 Olympics, Lesha skated like a God, there were no questions about olympic gold. So, it's time for Mao to show all the people who she really is

Interesting topic. I think anyone who followed the sport for quite some time are more than aware that there are "backdoor" transactions happening on some level whether we like to admit it or not (Sonia Bianchetti's autobio makes this especially apparent) - and they don't necessarily have to be SLC-level scandals either.

That said, the cynic in me has some doubts about whether a "Yu-Na wins OGM situation" will equal continued interest in the sport in South Korea - not that I'll know, since I have very little knowledge of their culture. It will definitely create a flurry of excitement, yes, but the fact of the matter is that the Korean federation still isn't exactly the most organized (or funded) in its FS division - it still lags severely behind speed skating - and the bulk of the new rinks and whatnot are also factored in by the fact that Yu-Na has commercial appeal and marketability; indeed, its been the work of sponsors.

Sports journalists with minimum knowledge of the sport can talk about Japan being a "new skating power" all they want, but the fact of the matter is that skating in Japan didn't start under Midori Ito. The Japanese Fed has a long history and its interest in developing athletes began around the 70's with the Kozuka family, Emi Watanabe, and Minoru Sano. Midori's impact did begin the Nobeyama camp and the JSF system of keeping tabs on upcoming talent, which in turn lead to the successes of Shizuka, and virtually all the Japanese skaters in competition today.

As a country without a history in FS like that of the US, the Korean Skating Union will require further organization and planning to keep the sport alive, and I just can't picture that happening as of the present because skating is currently treated as a "fad" in that nation, rather than a viable pasttime and interest like baseball, table tennis, or soccer. There's not enough NATIVE coaches or experts of FS in Korea (the foundation for the sport just isn't there), let alone skating teachers, which severely limits potential athletes even if skating rinks in Korea are running rampant with kids thanks to the media exposure.

Of course, on the short term it's going to be a business opportunity I'm sure Speedy and his goons at ISU will love to milk out, but I personally don't see it as an actual opportunity for skating to develop in Korea. If Yu-Na does theoretically win, it'll create a plateau of skating fever but I see it sinking back to obscurity just as easily, because the Sochi cycle will no longer see a Korean skater in the top ranks.

We'll probably just have to wait until next season begins, but I'm quite fine with Mao no longer being the top contender in Vancouver (at least in the eyes of the Korean media and Western journalists).

Yes, her theoretical win wouldn't make Korea the center of the figure skating universe, but if hordes of kids will rush towards ice rinks, I guess this fact alone would be sufficient to expect the discovery of new yunakims in the nearest future (and Korean federation, disorganized or not, would probably find some way for those talents to be normally coached).
If Yu-na wins the Games, considering all the factors (the socio-cultural one among others), I guess she simply might become one of the most idolized athletes in the history of sports (with all following consequences). I don't see how her possible OGM impact can be compared with the possible impact of some Canadian or US skater winning the Olympics. (Unless Obama will start practicing donut spin tomorrow, of course.) Who's Lysacek for the US? Some another guy with some another gold on his neck. Who is Rochette for Canada? Who is Kim for Korea?.. Around a year ago I asked one Korean girl who wasn't a fan of skating in no way if she knew who Yu-na Kim is. She answered: "Of course I do, we call her the younger sister of our nation".
Batsuchan, whoever wins whatever, I'm afraid the next season will be the last one for us to witness this great rivalry. I guess Yu-na has much more interesting and relaxing things to do than some competitive skating (not that there is something wrong about this fact). You know, apparently there are two different types of skaters: those who love themselves within figure skating, and those who love figure skating within themselves (try to feel the difference). I guess Yu-na, like many and many others, is the first type. (Am I too 'romantizing' this issue?)

When you have a skater like Yu-Na Kim, it's hard to actually point out the bias in the judging, because Yu-Na does skate well and did deserve her win at the 2009 Worlds. So, if she gives two perfect programs at Vancouver and Mao makes perhaps only one mistake (but skates with more artistry and has better programs), no one can say anything. I guess we can only hope that Mao delivers perfect programs next year, so the judges would be FORCED to give the gold to her. It sounds bad, but that may be the case.

And as to the point of judges awarding Yu-Na the gold in order to please the Korean fans - that certainly is one possibility. Can you imagine the backlash from those hooligans on youtube and Yu-Na Kim forums if Mao were to win? Then again, I think we as Mao fans will make just as big a noise if the victory if not awarded to Mao, if she indeed skates programs deserving of the gold medal.