Late Choi Sook-hyun's Teammate: "Team Doctor Habitually Sexually Harassed... Verbal Abuse Followed Any Objection"

The late Choi Sook-hyun's fellow athletes are holding a press conference on additional damages at the National Assembly on the 6th./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] As the tragic case of the late Choi Sook-hyun, a triathlete who took her own life after suffering abuse within her team, has come to light and sparked national outrage, a fellow athlete has revealed that she was repeatedly sexually harassed by the team doctor.

Fellow athlete A appeared on CBS's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" this morning and said, "While the team doctor was giving massages for treatment purposes, he would excessively reach inside my inner thigh," adding, "I felt that this was not right."

She continued, "In 2018, at a competition in Hong Kong, I injured my lower back, and while treating me, he touched my chest," and confessed, "As an athlete, I found the team doctor's behavior suspicious, but I couldn't speak up because I was in a situation where I couldn't express my opinion."

She explained why she did not protest, saying, "Even though I thought this was wrong, I was afraid of various forms of retaliation if I raised objections," and added, "'Why are you questioning me when I'm doing this?' or being verbally abused, or being told, 'Don't get treatment from me anymore'?there were many possible scenarios."

She further added, "Player B also said that while receiving treatment with me, she felt as if her inner thigh was being touched," and explained, "You can just think of it as going deep inside."

She also exposed habitual physical abuse. A said, "Hitting the back of the head every two or three days was basic," and added, "When the head was hit, the coach said, 'I hit the helmet, not your head.' He clenched his fist and hit my chest hard several times like this."

Regarding Choi, she said, "Considering the bullying in the sports world, it was difficult to hold a press conference, but I feel somewhat relieved because I was able to fulfill one of Sook-hyun's wishes."

She continued, "I feel very sorry for not filing a lawsuit together and for doing it so late, and I hope that now, wherever she is, she can rest peacefully, leave all the hardships behind, and only have good things."

Earlier, on the 6th, Choi's teammates held a press conference at the National Assembly, testifying about the physical abuse they suffered from the coach, team doctor, and captain of the Gyeongju City Triathlon Team. They revealed, "The team doctor deceived us by claiming to be a university professor and made us feel sexual humiliation by touching our chest and thighs under the pretext of treatment."