Japanese Media: "Twin Expulsions" Highlight Korea-Japan Volleyball Dominance at Tokyo Olympics

On the 26th of last month, a women's professional volleyball match between Incheon Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders and Seoul GS Caltex KIXX volleyball team was held at Incheon Gyeyang Gymnasium. Lee Jae-young (left) and Lee Da-young of Heungkuk Life, who were selected as All-Stars through the professional volleyball All-Star fan vote, are receiving trophies and posing for a commemorative photo at the award ceremony before the match.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Amid the indefinite suspension of Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young (25), players of Heungkuk Life who were involved in past school violence controversies, the Japanese media outlet 'Jiji Press' reported on the 15th that "the popular Korean twin volleyball players were expelled from the national team during middle school due to bullying (ijime)."

The media also reported that the players had made significant contributions to "securing the Tokyo Olympic qualification." This has led to interpretations that the absence of these two highly skilled players could put Korea at a disadvantage in the upcoming Tokyo Olympic volleyball match against Japan, giving Japan the upper hand, sparking what some see as a kind of Korea-Japan volleyball rivalry tension.

As Japanese media reported on the horrific school violence committed by the two players, the shame and anger have been borne entirely by the Korean public. Consequently, there is growing public opinion that the suspension penalty is too lenient. Voices filled with indignation are calling for their permanent expulsion from the sports world altogether.

On the afternoon of August 24, 2019, at Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, during the Asia Women's Volleyball Championship match between Korea and Japan, Korean players expressed their disappointment after a 1-3 set score comeback loss. The photo is an archive image and is not related to any specific expression in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Jiji Press stated, "The popular twin sisters in Korean women's volleyball were indefinitely expelled from the national team after revelations of group bullying during middle school," adding, "Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young greatly contributed to securing Korea's qualification for the Tokyo Olympics."

They also reported, "The sisters were celebrities who appeared on various TV programs. However, they faced criticism for past wrongdoings, and in Korea, where group bullying in schools and workplaces is a serious social issue, voices of anger have grown louder." Articles related to the two players, including this report, dominated the top three most popular articles in the sports section of Yahoo Japan yesterday (the 15th).

Summarizing the Japanese media coverage including Jiji Press, the main point is that the two players, who are very popular in Korea, have effectively left the volleyball scene temporarily due to being implicated as perpetrators of school violence in the past.

In particular, the reports emphasized that these players made significant contributions to "securing the Tokyo Olympic qualification." The absence of these two standout volleyball players in Korea is interpreted as placing Korean volleyball in a major crisis against Japan. As a result, it can be read that, at this point, Japanese volleyball currently holds a competitive advantage due to the absence of these two players.

Citizens immediately expressed outrage. They are frustrated that due to the mistakes of these two players, the Korean public is being collectively criticized. Kim, a company employee in his 40s, raised his voice, saying, "Why does our country have to be mentioned in Japanese media because of these twins?" He pointed out, "The level of punishment is also an issue. They should be completely banned from playing to set an example so that such incidents never happen again."

A Blue House petition urging the permanent expulsion of twin sister players from the volleyball world. Photo by Blue House petition board capture

Dissatisfaction with the disciplinary measures has also been reflected in a Blue House (Cheong Wa Dae) petition, which has surpassed 110,000 signatures. On the 12th, a petition titled "Demanding a thorough investigation and strict response to the female volleyball players' school violence incident" was posted on the petition board.

The petitioner stated, "Just as baseball teams and associations recently took strong and appropriate actions such as expulsion and withdrawal of nominations against players found to have committed school violence, if the school violence allegations against the female volleyball players are true, the Volleyball Federation should permanently expel the players," adding, "Moreover, if they are star players representing Korean volleyball, this issue cannot be overlooked."

They further said, "A national-level investigation through the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is necessary," and "As citizens, we must collectively consider this issue and take practical actions."

They added, "Even if apologies are made, it is true that the dignity of our country's sports community has been damaged, and the image of the Volleyball Federation and all volleyball players has suffered," emphasizing, "Only a proper investigation and strict punishment, not a simple personal resolution, can prevent similar problems from recurring."

Meanwhile, the twin players Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young have been indefinitely suspended from participation by their team, Heungkuk Life. On the 15th, Heungkuk Life announced, "Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young have acknowledged and apologized for the school violence that occurred during middle school. Given the seriousness of the matter, we have decided on an indefinite suspension for the players."

They continued, "We apologize to everyone who loves volleyball for the disappointment caused by this incident and feel a deep sense of responsibility. School violence should never happen and cannot be tolerated for any reason. The two players have admitted to the wrongdoing and are deeply reflecting on their actions. The club also apologizes once again to the victims who suffered due to the players' misconduct."

Heungkuk Life added, "During their period of self-reflection, the two players must make every effort to deeply repent, including meeting the victims directly to seek forgiveness, so that the victims' wounds can be healed even a little."

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