Baseball Player Lee Young-ha Denies Charges in First Trial Amid 'School Violence Controversy'

Lee: "I will clearly explain during the trial process"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] Doosan Bears baseball player Lee Youngha, who has been embroiled in a 'school violence controversy' for assaulting juniors during his high school baseball team days, denied the charges at his first trial.

The Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 4 (Judge Jeong Geumyoung) held the first hearing on the morning of the 21st at 10:20 a.m. for Lee Youngha (25), who was indicted on charges of special assault coercion and extortion.

According to the prosecution, in March 2015 during high school, Lee Youngha, along with his baseball club senior Kim Daeha, allegedly gave an electric fly swatter to victim A and told him to put his finger in it. When A did not comply, Lee is accused of hitting his shoulder and forcibly shocking him with the fly swatter.

He is also accused of, in January of the same year at a hotel in Taiwan, demanding ramen while using abusive language and threatening gestures, and calling victim classmates to make them hit their heads. In August of the same year, he is accused of making victim A and others perform sexually humiliating acts in front of the high school gymnasium.

Lee Youngha’s defense attorney denied all the prosecution’s allegations, stating, “There is no such fact.” Lee Youngha also expressed the same opinion.

The prosecution applied to call victim A and one witness as witnesses, while the defense submitted KakaoTalk message records exchanged with victim classmates as additional evidence.

After the hearing, Lee Youngha’s defense attorney said, “There is no evidence other than the victim’s testimony,” and added, “Although there is witness testimony, it was obtained at the victim’s request, so we can sufficiently explain that part, and there are also opposing cases.”

Before attending the trial, when asked by reporters whether he admitted the charges, Lee Youngha said, “I will explain well during the trial process.”

The next hearing will be held at 2 p.m. on December 9 at the Seoul Western District Court.

The school violence allegations surfaced earlier this year through an interview with victim A, who was one year junior to Lee Youngha on the high school baseball team. A claimed to have been “tormented” by Lee Youngha and LG Twins baseball player Kim Daehyun (25) while attending Sunrin Internet High School. Lee Youngha denied the allegations through his agency, and A reported the case to the Sports Ethics Center, leading the prosecution to indict them. Kim Daehyun is currently serving in the military and is being tried in a military court.

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