"Retrieve the Prize Money Immediately" Will the Prize Money Be Recovered from the Perpetrators of Athlete Choi Sook-hyun?

Teammates of Athlete Choi Sook-hyun: "The Captain Also Committed Assault and Verbal Abuse Against Sook-hyun and Us"
Korea Triathlon Federation Permanently Bans Coach Kim Gyu-bong and Captain Jang Yoon-jung
Some Demand Recovery of 'Reward Money' Received by Jang

In relation to the death of the late athlete Choi Sook-hyun, on the afternoon of the 6th at the Korea Triathlon Federation Sports Fairness Committee held at Olympic Parktel in Songpa-gu, Seoul, Kim Gyu-bong, the coach of Gyeongju Triathlon who was identified as the perpetrator, is leaving the meeting room after presenting his defense.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Amid public outrage over the tragic death of the late athlete Choi Sook-hyun, who suffered from abusive treatment, there is growing public opinion that Jang Yoon-jung, the captain of the Gyeongju City Hall triathlon team who was permanently banned, should have the prize money she received reclaimed.

Although the prize money was awarded based on her abilities, the recognition is overshadowed by the physical abuse and harsh treatment she inflicted on junior athletes, rendering the awards essentially meaningless. Furthermore, there are criticisms that she lacks the qualification to have received the prize money, as she ignored the victims' pleas during the process.

Teammates who competed alongside Choi Sook-hyun in the triathlon team unanimously criticized Jang. On the 6th, they held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office, naming team captain Jang Yoon-jung as the "top priority for punishment." They raised their voices about her abusive behavior, stating, "The captain not only ostracized Sook-hyun and us as a group but also repeatedly assaulted and verbally abused us."

They added, "As the senior member of the team, the captain always sowed discord among players, isolated them, and drove them into a hellish abyss through physical and verbal abuse," and "Since we shared the same dormitory space, we were exposed to the captain's violence and verbal abuse 24 hours a day."

On the morning of the 7th, colleagues of the late athlete Choi Sook-hyun and members of the Future United Party, including Representative Lee Yong, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office in Yeouido, Seoul, to reveal the damage status related to the death of the late athlete Choi Sook-hyun. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee Yong, a member of the United Future Party, publicly disclosed the names of the Gyeongju City Hall coach Kim Kyu-bong and captain Jang Yoon-jung at the time. Jang Yoon-jung is a former national team member who won a bronze medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and a silver medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.

Following the scandal, the Korea Triathlon Federation's Sports Fairness Committee decided to permanently ban Gyeongju City Hall coach Kim Kyu-bong and female senior athlete Jang Yoon-jung, who were accused of abusing the late Choi Sook-hyun.

The issue now is whether to reclaim the prize money Jang received. According to the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, Jang was the first Korean triathlete to win a bronze medal at an international competition during the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Eight years later, she also won a silver medal at the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. For these achievements, Jang received a total of 1.1 million KRW in prize money.

The prosecution has launched a full-scale investigation into the case of the late triathlon athlete Choi Sook-hyun, who made an extreme choice after suffering from harsh treatment by her team coaches and senior players.

Daegu District Prosecutors' Office announced on the 2nd that the case, which was handed over after police investigation, is being investigated by the Female and Child Crime Investigation Division (Chief Prosecutor Yang Seon-soon).

The photo shows the last message Choi sent to her mother on the 26th of last month before she passed away.
[Image source=Yonhap News] Photo by Yonhap News

However, some question whether Jang, who bullied junior athletes, deserves to keep the prize money. A man in his 30s, A, who expressed outrage after seeing the late Choi Sook-hyun case, said, "I think the prize money should be reclaimed immediately," adding, "It’s not just about reclaiming; it’s a form of punishment. The honor she gained is filled with the suffering of junior athletes."

Another man in his 30s, B, said, "I believe the prize money can be reclaimed," and bluntly stated, "Prize money does not suit such a criminal."

However, it is expected to be difficult to reclaim Jang’s prize money. Even if Jang is prosecuted and punished, the prize money cannot be reclaimed. While there are provisions that revoke pension eligibility if the recipient is legally punished, there are no such clauses regarding prize money.

Citizens emphasized that laws should be enacted to allow the reclamation of prize money from athletes who have been permanently banned. Kim, a company employee in his 40s, said, "The case of the late Choi Sook-hyun is a problem that spans the entire sports community and is a structural issue in our society," adding, "Prize money should be reclaimed as a way to correct the controversial aspects."

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo (from the right), Minister of Gender Equality and Family Lee Jung-ok, and 2nd Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Yoon-hee are greeting each other after finishing a briefing on the afternoon of the 7th at the briefing room of the Government Seoul Office regarding the human rights violations related to the late triathlete Choi Sook-hyun. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, on the 6th, the federation held a fairness committee meeting at the Olympic Parktel in Bangi-dong, Seoul, and decided to permanently ban Gyeongju City Hall coach Kim Kyu-bong and captain Jang Yoon-jung, who were accused of assaulting and verbally abusing Choi Sook-hyun. A male senior athlete received a 10-year suspension.

The fairness committee explained the reason for imposing heavy penalties on Kim and others despite their denial of the allegations: "The statements of the accused should have differed slightly, but the three accused gave testimonies following the same pattern. It seemed they had prepared a response strategy."

They emphasized, "The testimonies of the late Choi Sook-hyun and other victims were more consistent and credible." Before the fairness committee meeting, the federation collected testimonies from six additional victims or witnesses and reviewed all evidence, including recorded statements and transcripts.

Earlier, from February until the day before her death, Choi filed complaints six times with the National Human Rights Commission, prosecutors, Gyeongju City Hall, the Korea Sports Council, and the Triathlon Federation, reporting assault and verbal abuse. Although she even filed lawsuits, no organization actively responded to her pleas. Ultimately, Choi tragically took her own life on the 26th of last month at her lodging in Busan.

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This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.