[Initial Perspective] Local Government Sports Teams, Who Bears the Responsibility?

A teammate of the late athlete Choi Sook-hyun is passing by the coach of the Gyeongju City Triathlon team during an emergency inquiry on the death of the late athlete Choi Sook-hyun held at the National Assembly on the 6th. The teammate made additional allegations against the Gyeongju City coach at the National Assembly that day. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

Only after another tragic incident occurs do voices emerge pointing out the chronic problems in the sports world. Verbal abuse and violence by coaches, carried out under the names of performance-oriented culture and tradition, provoke not just criticism but outright anger toward the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee for failing to prevent them. These are not new stories or recent events. The entire nation was shocked by the sexual violence scandal in the ice skating community, and various measures to prevent recurrence were introduced less than a year ago, but the fact that they have been ineffective is deeply disheartening.

According to a survey conducted last summer by the National Human Rights Commission’s Special Investigation Team on Sports Human Rights, targeting about 1,200 professional athletes affiliated with 17 metropolitan local governments and over 40 public institutions, 33.9% of adult athletes reported experiencing verbal abuse, and 15.3% reported physical violence. Additionally, 11.4% (143 individuals) reported experiencing sexual violence. Notably, 8.2% of respondents said they were "almost beaten daily," and 67.0% did not take any action even after experiencing physical violence. The statistics also revealed that perpetrators were senior male athletes in 58.8% of cases involving male athletes, and coaches in 47.5% of cases involving female athletes.

This is why, in relation to the death of athlete Choi Sook-hyun, the management responsibility of the affiliated local government must be scrutinized as much as that of the sports community. Local government sports teams, which emerged amid the boom of hosting the Asian Games and the Olympics, rapidly increased in number during the mid-1990s with the introduction and establishment of local autonomy. Local government heads, aiming to gain even one more vote from residents by capitalizing on the popularity of sports, consecutively founded popular sports teams. Although there was a period of reduced investment, another boom in fostering professional teams occurred in each city and province ahead of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Since this required splitting the tight local government budgets, there were significant fluctuations by region and sport, and sports teams were created or disbanded whenever local government heads changed. Experts point out that various corruption, violence, and human rights violations worsened during this process. When problems arose in sports teams, the easiest solution was to disband the team first, and the affiliated coaches and athletes bore the brunt of the damage.

In the case of local government sports teams or workplace sports clubs operated by city, county, or district governments, such as the Gyeongju City Triathlon Team to which Choi belonged, the operation and management responsibility clearly lies with the respective local government. Sports teams affiliated with local sports councils are also operated with local government budgets, so the supervisory responsibility lies with the local government heads. Since the officials responsible for hiring, contracting, and managing athletes and coaches are either non-expert public officials or local sports figures connected through personal networks, athletes’ grievances inevitably remain unheard.

Choi’s parents reportedly visited Gyeongju City in early February this year to file a complaint with the responsible officials about the harsh treatment their daughter endured during training and requested disciplinary action, but were ignored. Ultimately, in early March, Choi filed a complaint with the prosecution against the team coach, team doctor, and two senior athletes on charges including assault, and also reported the violence to the Sports Human Rights Center operated by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, but she was not protected anywhere.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon wrote on Facebook on the 4th, "I am deeply sorry. I express my sincere condolences on the tragic death of athlete Choi Sook-hyun," adding, "I will look into whether similar incidents have occurred within Seoul’s jurisdiction. I will not tolerate any violence or human rights violations." Not only in Gyeongju but also in communities across the country, people have begun to reflect and discuss measures, saying "this is not someone else’s problem." However, Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-yeon only stated, "The triathlon team has been training while staying in Gyeongsan, so there was a limitation in thoroughly managing and supervising internal matters," and "We will take strong measures such as disbanding the team and devise prevention plans to ensure such incidents do not recur," then fell silent. Since even the president has ordered a thorough investigation, this time the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, and local governments must show a responsible attitude to improve the sports world’s bad practices and structural problems.

/Jo In-kyung, Deputy Head of Social Affairs Department ikjo@