Fair Trade Commission Dismisses Lee Hae-in's Reconsideration Request
"3-Year Suspension Discipline Deemed Appropriate"
Lee Hae-in's Side Considers "Injunction and Lawsuit"
Figure skater Lee Hae-in attending the license suspension reconsideration on the 29th. Photo by Yonhap News
The claim by former national figure skating representative Lee Hae-in that "the actions toward the junior athlete were not sexual harassment" was not accepted in the reconsideration.
On the morning of the 30th, the Korea Sports Council's Sports Fairness Committee notified Lee Hae-in and the Korea Skating Union that "Lee Hae-in's request for reconsideration is dismissed." The committee stated that considering various circumstances, including the fact that the victim was a minor, it judged the union's disciplinary action against Lee Hae-in to be appropriate. In response, Lee Hae-in's side said, "We are considering filing a provisional injunction to suspend the disciplinary action's effect in court and filing a main lawsuit to confirm the invalidity of the disciplinary action to clear the false accusation of sexual harassment."
Earlier, Lee Hae-in was found to have consumed alcohol during the national figure skating team's training camp in Varese, Italy, in May. During the investigation by the Korea Skating Union, it was revealed that Lee had engaged in behavior toward junior male athlete A that could be interpreted as having a sexual intent. The union conducted an internal investigation and imposed a severe penalty of a three-year suspension on Lee Hae-in, while issuing a reprimand to minor A for violating the intensified training regulations by visiting the dormitory of an opposite-sex athlete.
In response, on June 27, Lee Hae-in posted on her social media, stating, "The claims that I sexually harassed or sexually assaulted A are not true," and explained, "He was my boyfriend when I was a high school student last year, but we broke up due to our parents' opposition and met again during this training camp." She expressed her grievance, saying, "I thought it was playful or affectionate behavior that could happen between lovers, and I never imagined it would be misunderstood like this." Earlier this month, in an interview with a media outlet, she also refuted the allegations by stating that A gave false testimony and provided evidence to prove she is not a sexual offender.
Subsequently, on the 29th, Lee Hae-in appeared at the reconsideration held by the Fairness Committee at the Olympic Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, saying, "More than as a figure skater, I just want to clarify as a person, as a woman, that I am not a sexual offender." She added, "I am truly sorry for drinking and dating during the national training camp, which should not have happened," and bowed her head, saying, "It was a grave mistake that should never have happened, and I am reflecting on it. I will regret it for life." On that day, Lee Hae-in's side argued, "The union did not recognize that Lee Hae-in and junior athlete A were in a romantic relationship and judged the physical contact between them as 'forcible molestation,' so the disciplinary action is excessive."
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