[Summary] Severe Disciplinary Action for 'Hakpok' Twin Sisters... Citizens Outraged Demanding "Permanent Expulsion"

"Considering the Seriousness of the Issue... Future National Team Selections Will Also Undergo Verification"
30.4% of Elementary, Middle, and High School Students Nationwide Have Experienced School Violence
Among Them, 79% Did Not Report the Incident
Volleyball Association Plans a Full Survey of All Registered Members

The national team qualifications of Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young, the twin sisters of the women's professional volleyball team Heungkuk Life who caused social controversy due to school violence (school bullying) issues, have been indefinitely revoked. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] The Korea Volleyball Association (KVA) has imposed a severe penalty of indefinite exclusion from national team selection on the twin sisters Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young (26, Heungkuk Life), female professional volleyball players embroiled in a school violence controversy. The association explained that considering the seriousness of school violence incidents in the sports world, which are frequent, strong measures were unavoidable to prevent recurrence.

Given the situation, public criticism has arisen that the disciplinary level is too lenient compared to the horrific school violence committed by the twin sisters. On the Blue House's national petition site, there are calls for the players' expulsion and permanent ban. This is pointed out as a social issue where the players committed brutal violence, not merely an incident within the sports community.

This is not the first such school violence case. According to the National Human Rights Commission's investigation, a significant number of student athletes in elementary, middle, and high schools have experienced physical and verbal abuse, yet many fail to report it properly. This suggests that numerous school violence cases remain undisclosed.

Consequently, some argue that athletes involved in school violence should be permanently expelled to eliminate the possibility of similar incidents recurring.

On the 15th, the Volleyball Association issued a press release stating, "As an organization managing professional and amateur sports and national teams, we deeply regret the controversy caused by this school violence incident," and "Considering the gravity of the matter, perpetrators of school violence will be indefinitely excluded from national team selection for all future international competitions, including the Tokyo Olympics."

They added, "In future national team coach and player selections, we will verify whether candidates have adhered to the spirit of fair play, including checking for any history of school violence."

The association explained the reason for the severe penalty of indefinite exclusion from national team selection was because "without strong measures, it would be difficult to prevent recurrence of similar incidents."

On the 16th, Cho Yong-gu, Secretary General of the Volleyball Association, said in an interview with CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "There was considerable hesitation about taking strong action just before the Olympics," but emphasized, "I believe strong disciplinary action is necessary to prevent school violence from recurring in the future."

The controversy erupted after a netizen, A, revealed on an online community that they were a victim of school violence by the Lee Jae-young and Da-young twins in the past. On the 10th, the twins posted handwritten apology letters on their respective Instagram accounts, stating, "We will reflect on our actions and live in remorse for life," and "If the victims allow, we will visit them personally to apologize."

The problem is that such school violence incidents in the sports world are not new. On the 13th, a post surfaced on an online community alleging past school violence by a current male volleyball player, sparking further controversy.

On July 29 last year, sisters Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young are talking at the media day held at the Heungkuk Life Training Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. / Photo by Yonhap News

The school violence controversy is not limited to a specific sports sector. In 2018, pitcher Ahn Woo-jin, who was the first-round draft pick for the baseball team Kiwoom Heroes, faced school violence allegations, resulting in a 50-game suspension and a three-year disqualification by the Korea Baseball Softball Association, stripping him of his national team eligibility.

In fact, a 2019 comprehensive survey by the Human Rights Commission of over 60,000 student athletes in elementary, middle, and high schools revealed that school violence is widespread in the sports community.

According to the survey of 63,211 athletes from 5,274 schools nationwide, 14.7% (8,440 respondents) reported experiencing physical violence from coaches or seniors. Cases of verbal abuse, including insults and threats, reached 15.7% (9,035 respondents).

Most victims responded passively due to fear of retaliation or lack of knowledge on how to cope. Among those who experienced physical violence, 79.6% (4,898 students) did not report or disclose the abuse. The main reasons cited were "fear of retaliation" (24.5%) and "not knowing how to respond" (13%). This creates a vicious cycle where victims endure abuse silently, allowing violence to escalate.

Given these circumstances, there are calls for strong measures such as permanent expulsion from the sports world for athletes who commit school violence.

A 20-something office worker, A, said, "It's already painful to have been abused during school years, but persistent school violence could cause promising athletes to give up their careers midway," emphasizing, "It’s tantamount to ruining a person's life, so appropriate disciplinary action is necessary."

Another office worker, B (31), said, "Victims have nowhere to complain and rely on posting expos?s online, yet perpetrators continue to work openly as professional athletes, which is unbelievable," and raised their voice, "Athletes involved in school violence should be permanently banned from the sports community."

On the 12th, a petition urging a strong response to the athlete involved in the school violence incident was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. / Photo by Yonhap News

On the 12th, a petition was posted on the Blue House national petition board stating, "If the school violence by female volleyball players is true, the Volleyball Federation should permanently expel the players," adding, "Since they are star athletes representing our country, this issue cannot be overlooked." As of 10:40 a.m. on the 16th, the petition had received over 114,000 signatures.

As calls for indefinite expulsion of athletes involved in school violence grow louder, the Volleyball Association announced on the 16th that it will conduct a comprehensive survey of all registered players.

In a CBS radio interview that day, Secretary General Cho said, "We will investigate past and current cases of violence among all registered players," and emphasized, "Based on the Sports Committee regulations, we will assess the severity and impose penalties up to permanent expulsion."

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