Choi Sook-hyun's Teammates: "Jang Yoon-jung is the Top Priority for Punishment"
Jang Yoon-jung: "I Was Deceived by the Team Doctor... I Am the Biggest Victim"
To Prevent Another Choi Sook-hyun... Ministry of Education to Conduct a Full Survey of 60,000 Student Athletes
On the 22nd, Lee Yong, a member of the Future United Party, revealed the diary of the late athlete Choi Sook-hyun during the hearing on "Harsh Treatment of Triathlon Athletes and Human Rights Violations in the Sports Sector" held at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-ju] As additional abusive acts by Jang Yoon-jung, captain of the Gyeongju City Hall Triathlon team, have come to light, attention is focused on whether Jang will be punished. Additional victims, including the late Choi Sook-hyun, named Jang as the top priority for punishment.
Choi Sook-hyun’s teammates attended the "Hearing on Abusive Acts and Human Rights Violations in the Field of Sports for Triathlon Athletes" held at the National Assembly on the 22nd and further revealed Jang’s assault. Jang did not appear at the hearing and was unreachable.
One victim testified, "Jang Yoon-jung frequently assaulted athletes depending on her mood. The athletes did not know what they did wrong but admitted fault. The Gyeongju City Hall team operated under Jang Yoon-jung’s atmosphere. The athletes tried in every way to look good to Jang Yoon-jung."
He continued, "Even now, when Jang Yoon-jung appears in my dreams, I consider it a nightmare because I am so afraid. I hope Jang Yoon-jung is punished. The perpetrators may not remember, but the victims carry trauma for life. I hope Jang apologizes and receives strict punishment even now."
Another victim said, "When I was twenty in 2016, I was taken to the men's dormitory for not doing supplementary exercises. Jang Yoon-jung made a male senior bring a wooden stick. I was hit 10 times while leaning against the wall."
The athlete who hit this victim with the wooden stick also attended and admitted to the assault. He testified, "Jang Yoon-jung ordered me to hit the athlete. She instructed the assault for something trivial like not doing personal exercises."
In response to Rep. Lee Yong of the United Future Party’s question, "What do you think would have happened if you hadn’t hit him?" he said, "If I hadn’t hit him, I would have been ostracized on the spot and suffered severe verbal abuse to the point of mental devastation."
However, Coach Kim and Jang Yoon-jung, who are accused of assault, deny the allegations, claiming the opposite of the victims. They point to athletic trainer Ahn Joo-hyun, who was called the team doctor, as the perpetrator.
In a handwritten statement submitted to the Gyeongju City Sports Council, Jang named athletic trainer Ahn Joo-hyun as the sole perpetrator and claimed, "I was deceived by the two-faced trainer Ahn Joo-hyun. (Coach Kim Gyu-bong and I) are the victims."
Player Jang Mo identified exercise prescription specialist An Juhyun as the sole perpetrator, claiming, "(Coach Kim Gyubong and I) are the biggest victims." The photo shows a handwritten statement submitted by player Jang Mo to the Gyeongju City Sports Council. Photo by Office of Im Ohkyung, Democratic Party of Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Earlier, athletic trainer Ahn was arrested on the 13th on charges of illegal medical practices, assault, and sexual harassment against athletes. Then, on the 21st, Coach Kim Gyu-bong was arrested on charges of assault and verbal abuse against current and former athletes, including the late Choi Sook-hyun.
Jang’s name was also mentioned in a diary written by the late Choi Sook-hyun during her lifetime.
At the hearing, Rep. Lee Yong of the United Future Party revealed part of Choi’s diary.
According to it, Choi wrote the names of Jang Yoon-jung, Coach Kim Gyu-bong, Kim Jeong-gi (the former name of athlete Kim Do-hwan), and two other former Gyeongju City Hall athletes alongside questions like "Who is my enemy?" and "Who is the craziest person I know?" She added, "No matter how many times I ask this question, the answer is always the same," and "One athlete seems to have changed a bit."
Originally, the accused named in the complaint filed last month by the late Choi and her family were four people: Coach Kim, athletic trainer Ahn Joo-hyun, and two senior athletes.
Rep. Lee pointed out, "Additional perpetrators beyond those identified so far have been revealed," and said, "This shows the extent of the coach’s influence within the Gyeongju City Hall Triathlon team."
Athlete Kim Do-hwan, who appeared as a witness at the hearing, admitted, "During the 2016 training camp in New Zealand, I hit Choi Sook-hyun on the back of the head because she blocked my way during track training." He also testified, "I have seen Coach Kim Gyu-bong, athletic trainer Ahn Joo-hyun, and Jang Yoon-jung assault and verbally abuse Choi Sook-hyun."
Meanwhile, the education authorities have decided to conduct a full investigation of student athletes to prevent recurrence of cases like that of the late Choi Sook-hyun, who suffered abuse from her team and took her own life.
The Ministry of Education announced that, together with 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education nationwide, it will conduct a full survey of 59,252 student athletes enrolled in elementary, middle, and high schools by the 14th of next month to investigate violence victimization.
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