Future United Party Forms 'Fact-Finding and Recurrence Prevention TF' on Late Athlete Choi Sook-hyun's Death
Justice Party "Cannot Overlook Violence in Sports"
Korean Sports Council "Strict Measures to Bar Perpetrators from Sports Community"
Regarding the tragic decision of the late Choi Sook-hyun, who competed as a national and youth representative in triathlon, Lee Yong, a member of the Future United Party and a former athlete now serving in the National Assembly, has called for a thorough investigation and strict punishment of the perpetrators. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The tragic news that the late Choi Sook-hyun, a former national triathlon athlete, took her own life after enduring severe abuse has sparked public outrage. The political sphere is also demanding strict punishment for the perpetrators and proposing measures to eradicate sexual violence and assault in the sports community.
The news of Choi’s death was revealed during a press conference held by Lee Yong, a former head coach of the national bobsleigh and skeleton team and a member of the United Future Party.
On the morning of the 1st, Lee held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office and stated, "In the early hours of the 26th, the young and only 23-year-old late Choi Sook-hyun jumped from her dormitory."
Lee said, "The last words the late Choi Sook-hyun left for her mother were 'Mom, I love you' and 'Please reveal the guilt of those people.' Who exactly are 'those people'?" He raised his voice, "Those people were none other than the coach of the Gyeongju City Hall team, the team doctor, and some players belonging to the same workplace sports team. However, neither the Korea Sports Council, the Korea Triathlon Federation, the Gyeongbuk Sports Council, Gyeongju City Hall, nor the Gyeongju Police Station paid any attention to the words of the late Choi Sook-hyun."
He continued, "She reported the assault and verbal abuse to the Korea Sports Council’s Sports Human Rights Center and urged for an investigation, but only endless time was wasted. Although petitions were sent to the Korea Sports Council and the Korea Triathlon Federation, no follow-up actions were taken. The Gyeongbuk Sports Council did not root out corruption but instead pressured the late Choi’s father to settle and tried to cover up the incident," he criticized.
Lee added, "The despair of 'No one listens to me' and 'I have no one on my side anywhere in the world' ultimately led her to make the extreme choice. We demand a thorough investigation into who drove this athlete to death and strict punishment for the perpetrators."
Jeong Hee-yong (from left), Kim Ye-ji, Lee Yong, Kim Seok-ki, and Kim Woong, members of the United Future Party, are announcing a plan for a fact-finding investigation into the deceased triathlon athlete Choi Sook-hyun at a press conference held at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 2nd. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the 2nd, Lee also formed a task force (TF) at the party level to uncover the truth behind Choi’s case. The 'Choi Sook-hyun TF' includes Lee and lawmakers Kim Seok-ki, Lee Yang-su, Kim Seung-su, Kim Woong, Kim Ye-ji, Jeong Hee-yong, and Bae Hyun-jin.
At a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office that day, Lee said, "We will respond by forming a TF at the party level for this case. We demand strict punishment for the perpetrators and will prepare drastic measures to prevent such incidents from happening again."
He added, "We have secured testimonies from two victims, and it is said that Choi was assaulted more than ten times over a month and subjected to verbal abuse that pushed her to an extreme situation leading to her tragic choice. We will also promptly enact the 'Choi Sook-hyun Act' requested by the bereaved family."
United Future Party lawmaker Jeong Jin-seok also spoke out about Choi’s case.
In a post on his Facebook that day, Jeong mentioned Choi’s death and said, "We can no longer neglect such issues. Coaches, schools, the government, and all members of our society must step up."
He continued, "No one cheers for medals won through corporal punishment and violence. I will seriously consult with experts and devise countermeasures. And I will definitely uncover 'the guilt of those people' and hold them accountable."
The Justice Party also demanded a thorough investigation and strict punishment for the perpetrators.
Kim Jong-chul, senior spokesperson for the Justice Party, said in a briefing that "We can no longer overlook violence in the sports world," and "Not only the direct perpetrators but also those suspected of condoning, aiding, or covering up this incident must be held accountable."
He added, "We must question whether the officials of Gyeongju City Hall, the Korea Sports Council, and the Korea Triathlon Federation did their best to protect the athletes and whether they bear responsibility for trying to cover up and suppress the incident. A 'second Me Too movement' against violence in sports must begin to prevent further victims," he emphasized.
Earlier, on the morning of the 26th of last month, Choi was found dead in a dormitory in Busan after leaving a text message to her family asking, "Please reveal the guilt of those who tormented me."
Choi, a graduate of Gyeongbuk Sports High School in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, was active in the Gyeongju City Hall workplace sports team in 2017 and 2019 before moving to the Busan City Hall team earlier this year.
The bereaved family claimed that Choi had been subjected to continuous abuse and harassment by the coach, team doctor, and some senior players at her former team, Gyeongju City Hall.
Meanwhile, the Korea Sports Council promised strict punishment for the perpetrators in a press release that day.
The Korea Sports Council stated, "We reaffirm the principle that human rights are paramount in sports and will review improvements to measures against sports violence and sexual violence to ensure that such tragic incidents never happen again. In particular, the perpetrators of this case will be severely punished through the Korea Triathlon Federation’s Sports Fairness Committee on the 6th, with heavy disciplinary action to prevent them from ever stepping foot in the sports community again."
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