Sports Stars in Court, Their 'Guillotine Match' [Seocho-dong Legal Story]

Shim Seok-hee Disciplinary Suspension Stay Request
If Granted, Olympic Participation Possible
If Denied, Coaching Career Also Blocked
Volleyball Player Jo Song-hwa Also Files Injunction Request

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] On February 18, 2014, at the Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi, Russia, the women's 3000m relay final of the Sochi Olympics short track speed skating took place. The last skater for the national team, which consisted of four members, was Shim Seok-hee. With three laps remaining, when they lost first place to China, Shim Seok-hee exploded. With one lap left, as Shim passed the right corner, she accelerated and overtook China's Li Jianlu. She crossed the finish line, creating a thrilling comeback drama. It was the moment Shim Seok-hee rose as the next queen of short track. Eight years later, Shim Seok-hee stood in court. The spotlight had shifted from cheers to criticism and concern.

Last October, during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, it was revealed that Shim Seok-hee exchanged inappropriate messages, including insults, with national team coach A and teammates. As a result, on the 21st of last month, the Korea Skating Union's Sports Fairness Committee imposed a two-month suspension of her national team eligibility. She was effectively stripped of her qualification to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics scheduled for the 4th of next month. Dissatisfied with this, Shim Seok-hee filed an injunction to suspend the disciplinary action at the Seoul Eastern District Court. The court is expected to decide whether to accept Shim’s request before the 20th.

For Shim Seok-hee, this is a ‘guillotine match’ she has never experienced on the ice. If the court accepts the injunction, the Skating Union and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee will decide the Olympic participants. If they judge that Shim is at a level to compete in the Olympics, she may be granted eligibility. Although she has not been able to train properly, she won the overall women's championship at the national team selection event in May last year. If the opposite happens (and the sports community is leaning toward this), her future looks bleak. All the dazzling Olympic dramas she wrote on the ice will be forgotten. Unlike others, athletes are greatly affected by disciplinary actions and punishments. Their image falls, active careers end, and future prospects as coaches are cut off. She has no choice but to pursue litigation, and it seems Shim Seok-hee feels the same.

This week, at the Seoul Central District Court, the result of an injunction request filed by female volleyball player Jo Song-hwa to suspend the termination of her contract with her team IBK Industrial Bank will be announced. Jo Song-hwa is also fighting to restore her honor. Last November, due to a rebellion against the coach and conflicts, she left the team without permission, and as the controversy grew, her team decided to terminate her contract. In response, Jo Song-hwa filed an injunction to suspend the contract termination in December last year. Even if she wins this trial, the possibility of Jo Song-hwa returning to IBK Industrial Bank is ‘zero.’ The club has publicly declared that they will not accept her. If she wins the lawsuit, she may have the opportunity to transfer to another team or pursue a coaching career.

Former professional basketball player Ki Seung-ho, who was prosecuted for assaulting a junior at a dining gathering, was sentenced to six months in prison in the first trial on the 11th but was not detained in court. The court stated, "We will give the defendant a chance to make efforts to restore the damage," and "considered that the defendant lost his career and future as a basketball player."