'Youth Player's Extreme Choice' Former Coach of Gimpo FC Suspended for 3 Years

About a year after a youth player from professional soccer K League 2 (second division) Gimpo FC took an extreme measure, the coaches identified as perpetrators have officially been disciplined.

The Korea Football Association held a Fairness Committee meeting on the 9th at the Football Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and imposed a 3-year suspension on former coach A of the Gimpo FC youth team, a 2-year suspension on former coach B, and a 2-year suspension on former manager C of the Gimpo FC youth team in relation to the incident. The TMG FC manager and a player were also each suspended for 1 year. TMG FC was the team where the deceased youth player D played during middle school.

A suspension means that the individual cannot engage in any activities under the jurisdiction of the Korea Football Association. They may file an objection to the higher authority, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, within one week from the date they receive the notification of the decision.

D, who was a player on the Gimpo FC youth team, took an extreme measure in April last year in the dormitory building. D left a note stating that there had been verbal abuse by coaches and bullying by fellow players.

Before the disciplinary actions, the coaches were booked without detention last April on charges of child abuse under the Child Welfare Act. The Korea Football Association held a Fairness Committee meeting on the 2nd but could not reach a conclusion, and finalized the disciplinary measures against them after another meeting one week later.