Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism "Deep Condolences for Late Athlete Choi Sook-hyun... Formation of Special Investigation Team"

Regarding the extreme choice made by the late athlete Choi Sook-hyun, who competed as a national representative in triathlon and as a youth representative, Lee Yong, a member of the Future United Party (proportional representation) and a former athlete now serving in the National Assembly, has called for a thorough investigation and punishment of the perpetrators.
[Image provided by Assemblyman Lee Yong]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism expressed "deep condolences regarding the death of triathlete Choi Sook-hyun" and stated on the 2nd, "As the main government body responsible for sports policy, we bear a heavy responsibility and will do our utmost to uncover the truth of this incident and to prevent such cases from recurring in the future."

The ministry added, "We feel even more sorrowful as this incident occurred amid efforts to innovate, such as implementing the recommendations of the Sports Innovation Committee following last year's Me Too movement in the sports world," and "We plan to use this incident as an opportunity for the Korean sports community to once again engage in thorough reform and self-reflection."

Separately from the Korea Sports Council's own investigation, a special investigation team led by Vice Minister Choi Yoon-hee of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been formed to ascertain the circumstances and issues, and those found responsible will be strictly held accountable. Despite a report being filed at the Korea Sports Council Clean Sports Center in April, a prompt investigation was not conducted, and protective measures for the athlete were insufficient; these aspects will also be thoroughly investigated.

The ministry explained, "A comprehensive special audit on this matter will be conducted as soon as possible, and if necessary, we will cooperate with judicial authorities, related ministries, and human rights organizations and groups." Additionally, through the Sports Ethics Center scheduled to launch in August, reporting, investigation, counseling, legal support, surveys, and preventive education regarding corruption and human rights violations in the sports world will be operated independently and efficiently.

Vice Minister Choi Yoon-hee plans to visit the Korea Sports Council on the day to receive a report on the circumstances of this incident and order strong follow-up measures. She said, "As a former athlete, I feel more heartbroken and angry than anyone else that such an incident has occurred," and added, "We will do our best to prevent such tragic cases from recurring and to create an environment where junior athletes can happily focus on their training with their human rights guaranteed."

Choi Sook-hyun filed complaints against the Gyeongju City Hall coach and team doctor in February, and reported the violent acts to the Korea Sports Council and the Korea Triathlon Federation in April. However, as no separate measures were taken, she took her own life on the 26th of last month.

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