National Assembly Culture Committee Emergency Inquiry
Director Kim Gyubong "I never assaulted... Admitted mistakes in unknown parts"
Director Kim "The text 'I will leave everything behind' was sent because Choi Sookhyun's father threatened and said she would leave to calm down"
Two accused players also "Never verbally or physically abused"
The three individuals accused of verbally and physically abusing the late Choi Sook-hyun, a promising triathlon athlete who died by suicide, including the coach and two players from Gyeongju City Hall, denied the related charges on the 6th at the National Assembly. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-ju] The three individuals accused of verbally and physically abusing the late Choi Sook-hyun, a promising triathlon athlete who died by suicide, including the coach and two players of Gyeongju City Hall, denied the allegations at the National Assembly.
They appeared as witnesses on the 6th at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee's emergency inquiry regarding harsh treatment of triathlon athletes and human rights violations in the sports sector.
When asked by Lee Yong of the United Future Party, "Have you ever verbally or physically abused anyone?" Kim Gyu-bong, the coach of Gyeongju City Hall, replied, "I have never done that," but admitted, "As a coach, I acknowledge the fault of not knowing that a player was being abused."
Prior to the committee session, female player A, also accused of verbal and physical abuse in additional testimonies from Choi Sook-hyun’s teammates held at the National Assembly Communication Office, also denied, saying, "I have never assaulted anyone."
When Lee Yong again asked the coach and the three players, including male player B who appeared with them, "Do you have any intention to apologize to the deceased?" Coach Kim and player A only repeated, "We feel sorry, but we have sincerely cooperated with the police investigation."
In response to questions from Park Jung and Im Oh-kyung of the Democratic Party, "What did you do when the late Choi Sook-hyun was being indiscriminately beaten?" Coach Kim said, "I never assaulted anyone, and when I heard the player was being hit, I stopped the team doctor." Coach Kim also denied much of the additional testimonies and the already publicized recordings from other players.
Assembly member Lee Yong of the United Future Party making a speech during the session [Image source=Yonhap News]
Coach Kim Gyu-bong also denied allegations of verbal and physical abuse during the supplementary and additional questioning in the afternoon.
Based on additional testimonies from the late Choi Sook-hyun’s teammates, independent lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun asked if he had forced a player to eat bread worth about 200,000 won for gaining weight after drinking a cola in 2016, assaulted a player for eating nuts, or hit a player for eating a peach in March 2019. Coach Kim denied all these allegations, saying "No."
When asked by Do Jong-hwan, chairman of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee from the Democratic Party, whether he had ever hit a player with a hanger rod, stepped on a player’s finger causing a fracture, hit a player until their eardrum burst, or used a baseball bat, Coach Kim answered "No" to all.
Coach Kim admitted to sending a text message to the late Choi Sook-hyun’s father saying, "I will let everything go and leave," but explained, "It was sent to calm him down because he threatened me, and it does not mean I am taking responsibility for this incident."
During the approximately 3 hours and 50 minutes meeting, lawmakers strongly criticized the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the responsible department, and the Korea Sports Council, the higher organization, saying the entire nation was outraged and shocked by the athlete’s death.
They also condemned the fact that after the late Choi Sook-hyun reported the related issues to the Sports Council’s Clean Sports Center on April 8, a prompt investigation was not conducted, and that the Korea Sports Council and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism failed to obtain information about An Joo-hyun, the unidentified "team doctor" who was the direct perpetrator of the abuse.
Yoon Sang-hyun asked, "Do you agree with the Gyeongju City Sports Council’s announcement that the responsibility lies with one team doctor?" and urged the Ministry and the Sports Council, "This is a situation that requires investigation, not just inquiry, and we must request the prosecution to investigate allegations of cover-up and downplaying of the incident."
Yoon and Chairman Do expressed disappointment at the government’s lack of will to uncover the truth and urged a swift investigation.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo said, "We will also request the prosecution to investigate allegations of concealment and downplaying."
Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sang-heon asked Coach Kim Gyu-bong about the background of the team doctor’s joining, saying, "The team doctor, who should manage the health of the athletes, assaulted a player."
Coach Kim responded, "I heard rumors that treatment was good at Pyeongan Internal Medicine in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk in 2008, and the players requested him to join the team," distancing himself from the matter.
Lawmaker Im Oh-kyung said, "The late Choi Sook-hyun submitted a petition to the Gyeongju City Sports Council on February 6, but the council failed to resolve the complaint within 14 days," and criticized Chairman Yeo Jun-gi of the Gyeongju City Sports Council, saying, "The measure they finally came up with was to disband the triathlon team, but instead of disbanding, shouldn’t they create a better environment for the athletes?"
There were also suspicions that after the late Choi Sook-hyun transferred from Gyeongju City Hall to Busan City Hall in January this year, attempts were made to block the reporting of abuse and verbal violence she suffered at her former team.
Democratic Party lawmaker Jeon Yong-gi released a phone recording that included the Busan City Hall coach’s reluctance to disclose the matter, but the Busan City Hall coach said, "I was completely unaware of the abuse the deceased suffered at Gyeongju City Hall, and I said I would support if she revealed it to the world, and I never tried to block the disclosure."
Minister Park Yang-woo apologized to the bereaved family, athletes, and the public, saying, "We will form a special investigation team to conduct a thorough investigation and identify problems in the existing system to prevent recurrence." He added, "The Sports Ethics Center launching next month can conduct investigations and file complaints but can only conduct non-compulsory inquiries. To properly function as an independent sports human rights organization, the law must be amended to introduce a special judicial police system to the Sports Ethics Center."
Korea Sports Council President Lee Ki-heung also said, "We will investigate thoroughly with a heavy heart and educate the coaches."
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