Outrage Over the Late Athlete Choi Sook-hyun Case: "Got 20 Slaps for Eating One Peach"

"Late Athlete Choi Sook-hyun Experienced Assault, Verbal Abuse, Threats, Power Harassment, and Sexual Harassment"
"Please Help Ensure the Truth Is Revealed"

Regarding the extreme choice made by the late Choi Sook-hyun, who competed as a national representative and youth representative in triathlon, Lee Yong (proportional representation), a member of the Future United Party and a former athlete who entered the National Assembly, called for a thorough investigation and punishment of the perpetrators. Photo by Yonhap News, Lee Yong, Member of the National Assembly

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A petition has been posted on the Blue House National Petition Board asking to clear the injustice of the late Choi Sook-hyun, a former national triathlon athlete who made an extreme choice after enduring habitual assault and abuse. According to the petition, Choi was subjected to food torture for ordering cola at a team meal and was slapped more than 20 times for not reporting to the coach that she ate one peach. The petitioner demands strict punishment for the perpetrators.

On the 2nd, a petition titled "Please resolve the injustice of the late Choi Sook-hyun, who died under oppression" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. As of 7:30 a.m. on the 3rd, the petition had gained over 22,600 supporters.

The petitioner explained, "As a triathlon athlete affiliated with Gyeongju City Hall, Choi endured unspeakable physical assault, verbal abuse, threats, power harassment, and even sexual harassment. These acts of violence were not one-time incidents but continuous and repetitive, which led Choi to suffer from severe depression."

He added, "In February 2020, Choi’s mental and physical condition reached a critical level, and upon the recommendation of acquaintances who were well aware of her situation of being abused, she initiated legal proceedings. This series of legal actions was the only means and last resort for Choi to reclaim her oppressed rights and restore her broken dignity."

He continued, "However, after initiating legal proceedings, the reality Choi faced was extremely miserable. All public institutions and responsible departments she sought help from ignored her and showed only fear of the incident leaking out rather than resolving it. Because of this, Choi had to endure her life under extreme psychological pressure and stress, thinking that even powerful people and the state might not protect her rights, which was a greater despair than when she was being abused."

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board Capture

Along with this, the petitioner listed the harsh abuses Choi suffered from the coach, team doctor, and some players.

According to the petitioner, they measured Choi’s weight because she ordered cola at a team meal, and when she gained a few hundred grams, they said, "What’s your favorite food? Bread? Then I’ll let you eat it until you die," and bought 200,000 won worth of bread. Afterwards, they threatened her by saying, "You can’t sleep until you finish eating it." Because of this, Choi repeatedly ate bread and vomited until dawn.

They also slapped Choi more than 20 times, kicked her chest and abdomen, and continued assaulting her for over 20 minutes by making her hit her head against the wall and pushing her, all because she did not tell the coach that she ate one peach in the morning and her weight had not decreased. The coach ignored this situation and verbally abused her, saying, "If I had hit you guys, you would really be dead."

The coach also repeatedly asked, "Does it hurt when the team doctor hits you? Do you want to die?" and Choi reportedly kept answering "No."

Furthermore, if Choi failed to lose weight, she had to fast for three days, and some even hit her cheeks with slippers, saying, "I didn’t hit you with my hand, so it doesn’t count as hitting."

Finally, the petitioner appealed, "Please help ensure thorough investigation, strict punishment, and fact-finding for the perpetrators so that Choi can rest in peace after death, even if she could not enjoy peace while alive."

Earlier, on the morning of the 26th of last month, Choi was found dead in a lodging in Busan after leaving a text message to her family saying, "Please reveal the crimes of those who tormented me."

Choi, who graduated from Gyeongbuk Physical Education 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.