"Hope It Becomes an Opportunity for Personal Maturity" Pyo Chang-won Apologizes for Mentioning Kim Bo-reum 4 Years Ago

Former lawmaker Pyo Chang-won (left), athlete Kim Bo-reum / Photo by Pyo Chang-won Blog·Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Former Democratic Party lawmaker Pyo Chang-won expressed his apology to speed skater Kim Bo-reum (29), who was embroiled in controversy over alleged ostracism during the team pursuit event at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

On the 19th, Pyo shared a post on his social networking service (SNS) referencing his past comments about Kim Bo-reum, saying, "If I was an additional stone thrown at her, I sincerely and deeply apologize." He expressed willingness to apologize if his previous remarks had hurt Kim Bo-reum.

He also cheered for Kim Bo-reum, who is competing in the mass start event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, saying, "She has cleared the unjust accusations and stood proudly on the ice again," and added, "Although the lost years cannot be recovered, I hope she regains pride, self-esteem, and peace of mind through much encouragement and support."

Previously, Kim Bo-reum participated in the speed skating team pursuit event at the Pyeongchang Olympics four years ago alongside Noh Seon-yeong and Park Ji-woo, but became embroiled in controversy over alleged ostracism during the race. After the event, Noh Seon-yeong claimed she was ostracized, and Kim Bo-reum faced public backlash. Kim apologized at the time and competed in the mass start event, winning a silver medal, but public reaction remained cold.

Kim Bo-reum, a South Korean speed skating athlete at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, is practicing alone on the ice during an official training session held at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, China.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding this, on February 24, 2018, former lawmaker Pyo said to Kim Bo-reum, "I believe the team pursuit issue will be an opportunity for personal growth," and "I hope she sincerely apologizes and reconciles with Noh Seon-yeong to become a star loved by the entire nation again."

He also pointed out, "The real big problem is the chronic factionalism within the skating community and federation, rather than the athletes who have only known sports," and stressed, "It must be fixed."

Following the Olympics, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's audit concluded that there was no intentional ostracism. However, Kim Bo-reum, who had already suffered great emotional wounds, had to undergo psychological treatment and endured a difficult time.

Later, in January 2019, Kim Bo-reum revealed that she had been continuously bullied by Noh Seon-yeong, and in November 2020, she filed a 200 million won lawsuit against Noh for damages.

On the 16th, the Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 36 (Presiding Judge Hwang Soon-hyun) ruled partially in favor of the plaintiff, ordering the defendant (Noh Seon-yeong) to pay 3 million won to the plaintiff (Kim Bo-reum). The judgment clarified that Kim Bo-reum did not ostracize Noh Seon-yeong.

After the ruling, Kim Bo-reum posted on her SNS, "February 24, 2018. Since then, it has been very difficult, and I wanted to give up. The hardest part was starting the trial in a situation where the victim and perpetrator were reversed, lies became truth, and truth became lies. Now it has finally been revealed that there was no problem in that race."

She added, "Four years have passed, but Pyeongchang still lingers in my heart... Now I will truly let it go. Goodbye, Pyeongchang. Farewell."

Meanwhile, Kim Bo-reum placed 5th in the speed skating mass start event that afternoon.

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