Suspicious Attempt to Secretly Record in Locker Room During Pyeongchang Olympics
Short track national team athlete Shim Seok-hee (24, Seoul City Hall) has been accused of attempting illegal recordings of fellow athletes. / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Short track national team member Shim Seokhee (24, Seoul City Hall), who has been embroiled in various controversies including disparaging fellow athletes and match-fixing, is now facing allegations of attempting illegal recording during the last Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyunjung's News Show' reported on the 14th that it had uncovered circumstances indicating that Shim Seokhee attempted to secretly record fellow athletes and coaches in the locker room at the competition venue during the last Winter Olympics.
Anchor Kim Hyunjung, the host, explained, "After receiving the tip and conducting a thorough review, the conclusion is that while areas related to the athlete's private life should be protected, illegal acts carried out in the public domain should be reported in the public interest. This illegal recording took place at the competition venue during the Olympic Games."
According to the News Show, Shim Seokhee's illegal recording attempt occurred around 7 p.m. on February 20, 2018. That day, Shim Seokhee, Choi Minjeong, and Kim Arang had just competed in and passed the women's 1000m short track individual preliminaries.
The text messages between Shim Seokhee and Coach A, revealed by the broadcast, show that Coach A first sent Shim Seokhee a message saying, "Congratulations on advancing in the 1000m," to which Shim Seokhee replied, "I was very moved."
She then said, "I'm in the locker room trying to hear what Choi Minjeong is saying to the coach. I need to record it."
Later, around 8:30 p.m. the same day, the two discussed the order of participation in the relay final. At this time, Shim Seokhee said, "I'll leave my phone recorder on in the locker room, so be careful what you say and let's text instead." They exchanged "ㅇㅇ" texts, meaning "okay."
In another message, Shim Seokhee asked, "Right now, Yubin, me, Min, and Seyu are in the locker room. If I leave, they might talk about the relay. So I'm not leaving. Should I just leave and turn on the recorder?" Coach A replied, "Yes," and Shim Seokhee responded, "OK."
However, the News Show stated that it could not confirm whether Shim Seokhee's illegal recording was actually carried out. Regarding this, the broadcaster said, "We contacted Shim Seokhee and Coach A several times for confirmation but did not receive a response," adding, "If the secret recording was actually done, or even just attempted, it could be punishable under the Communications Privacy Protection Act."
Earlier, on the 8th, entertainment media 'Dispatch' caused a stir by reporting text messages exchanged between Shim Seokhee and Coach A during the last Pyeongchang Olympics. The messages revealed that the two used vulgar language to mock fellow team members Choi Minjeong, Kim Arang, and others.
Dispatch also pointed out that Shim Seokhee mentioned "making a Bradbury (referring to the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics where the last-place skater won after others fell)," suggesting the possibility that she deliberately interfered with Choi Minjeong during the women's 1000m final.
Shim Seokhee's side apologized on the 11th for disparaging fellow athletes but firmly denied the intentional collision allegations. They stated, "It is a clear fact that I did not deliberately cause Choi Minjeong to fall, which can be sufficiently proven through expert investigations," and added, "We hope that future investigations will clarify the truth and resolve many misunderstandings."
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