Courageous Shim Seok-hee: "A Memory Hard to Recall Again"

Attended as a Witness at the 11th Trial of the Jo Jae-beom Sexual Assault Case
Skater Shim Seok-hee: "I Still Go to the Hospital and Take Medication"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] Shim Seok-hee, a short track speed skating athlete who was a victim of sexual crimes by former national short track coach Jo Jae-beom for over three years, appeared in court as a witness and shed tears, describing the experience as "a memory too difficult to recall."

At the 11th trial of the 'Jo Jae-beom sexual assault case' held on the 6th under the jurisdiction of the Suwon District Court Criminal Division 15 (Chief Judge Jo Hyu-ok), Shim appeared as a witness. During the approximately two and a half hours of closed-door testimony, she answered detailed questions related to the prosecution's charges, including the dates, methods, and details of the offenses committed by Jo. In previous first and second trials, in accordance with the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse, Shim gave her testimony separately via video link in a testimony room to avoid direct contact with former coach Jo. This time, the court judged that face-to-face testimony was necessary and requested Shim to appear directly in the witness stand.

Shim stated, "I am still visiting the hospital and taking medication," and described the memories as "too difficult to recall," ultimately breaking down in tears. The trial was paused several times and recesses were taken due to the difficulties Shim experienced during her testimony.

The final procedure before sentencing, the closing arguments hearing, is scheduled for the 16th. The hearing will include witness examination of Choi Min-jung, Shim's teammate and 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics gold medalist, the prosecution's sentencing recommendation, the defense's final arguments, and Jo's final statement.

Meanwhile, Jo is accused of sexually assaulting or forcibly molesting Shim 30 times at seven locations, including the Taereung and Jincheon training centers and the Korea National Sport University ice rink, from August 2014 when Shim was a second-year high school student until December 2017, just before the opening of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

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