'School Violence' Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young Sisters Barred from Wearing Taegeuk Mark... "Indefinite Disqualification from National Team"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dong-hyun] The national team qualifications of Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young, female professional volleyball players from Heungkuk Life who caused social controversy due to school violence during their school days, have been revoked.

The Korea Volleyball Association issued a statement on the 15th, saying, "As an organization responsible for professional sports, recreational sports, and national team management, we deeply regret the controversy caused by this school violence incident," and announced, "Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young will be indefinitely excluded from future national team selections, including the 2021 Volleyball Nations League and the Tokyo Olympics."

Although excluding these two key players ahead of the Tokyo Olympics would result in a significant loss of strength, the association reportedly made this decision as a strict measure against inappropriate behavior as national team players. An association official emphasized, "We will conduct thorough verification when selecting future national team coaches and players," adding, "We will select only coaches and players who respect and uphold the Olympic spirit and approach the national team with a spirit of fair play."

Left hitter Lee Jae-young and setter Lee Da-young, sisters who played together at Jeonju Jungsan Elementary School, Gyeonghae Girls' Middle School, and Seonmyeong Girls' High School, were pillars of the national team during the 2019 International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Volleyball Nations League, Tokyo Olympic qualifiers, and Asian final qualifiers. However, this school violence incident has posed a major crisis to their athletic careers. Even if the two players return to the court, it is virtually impossible for them to wear the Taeguk mark again.

Their club, Heungkuk Life, previously imposed an "indefinite suspension" on the Lee sisters, and the broadcasting industry also took immediate action. Replays and clip videos of variety shows featuring the two players last year, such as tvN's "You Quiz on the Block," E Channel's "Playing Sister," and Channel A's "Eye Contact," were removed. Kia Motors' commercial videos were also taken down.

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