"The coach and captain repeatedly engage in physical assault and verbal abuse"

Press Conference by Two Additional Victims
Financial Issues and Team Doctor Sexual Harassment Allegations
Whistleblowing on Investigator's Negligent Investigation

On the 6th, the late Choi Sook-hyun's fellow athletes held a press conference at the National Assembly regarding additional damages caused by the team coach, team doctor, and senior players. At the event, the fellow athletes stated, "The Gyeongju City Hall team was a kingdom ruled by the coach and certain players, where habitual violence and verbal abuse were accepted as normal in a closed and secretive environment. We were beaten more than 10 days a month, and it was unusual not to hear insults; we lived each day under verbal abuse as athletes." / Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] "The Gyeongju City Hall Triathlon Team was a kingdom ruled only by the coach and certain players."

On the morning of the 6th, Lee Yong, a former coach of the national bobsleigh and skeleton team at the Pyeongchang Olympics and a member of the United Future Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office along with two additional victims related to the 'Late Athlete Choi Sook-hyun Incident.' These individuals, who were teammates of the late athlete Choi on the Gyeongju City Hall team, testified again about the violence she endured and further revealed what they themselves experienced.

The two active players stated, "Today, we stand here as victims who have been fearful of retaliation, to reveal the truth about Sook-hyun, who was wronged and lonely. On the Gyeongju City Hall Triathlon Team, habitual violence and verbal abuse were normalized in a closed and secretive manner." They added, "The coach habitually committed physical and verbal abuse against Sook-hyun and the players. The team captain also ostracized Sook-hyun and us as a group and engaged in physical and verbal abuse."

They also testified about incidents such as being forced to eat about 200,000 won worth of bread in 2016 for gaining weight after drinking a single cola, being assaulted for eating nuts, and being called to a drinking party by the coach and team doctor in March 2019 for eating a peach, where they were beaten.

Revelations about financial issues followed. They did not properly receive incentives based on competition results, and were forced to deposit about 800,000 to 1,000,000 won in international competition support funds into the team captain’s bank account. Regarding the investigation process at the Gyeongju Police Station, they testified, "During the witness investigation at the Gyeongju Police Station, the investigating officer said, 'We cannot add any statements other than those reported by Choi Sook-hyun,' deleted some testimonies, and when asked how it would be handled, said, 'It will only result in a fine of 200,000 to 300,000 won,' and told us, 'If you are not going to file a complaint, then don’t speak.'" They implied that active measures were obstructed because if the perpetrators received fines, they would continue to encounter them at the stadium or training grounds and could face retaliation. They also raised suspicions of sexual harassment against a trainer disguised as a 'team doctor,' claiming, "The trainer touched our bodies under the pretext of treatment, causing sexual humiliation."

The two players apologized, saying, "We apologize to Sook-hyun’s older sister and the bereaved family for not having the courage to file a complaint earlier due to fear of maintaining our athletic careers," and expressed hope that "even now, the perpetrators acknowledge their crimes and receive proper punishment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.