'Player Suicide' Kimpo FC Youth Team, 6 Expelled Over Sexual Harassment

6 First-Year Students Sexually Assault and Assault 1 Second-Year Student
6 Perpetrators Expelled... Team Reduced to 26 Players

It was recently revealed that incidents of assault and sexual harassment occurred among players in the youth team of professional football club K League 2's Gimpo FC, where a teenage player had previously attempted an extreme act after suffering bullying a year ago.

According to Gimpo FC on the 11th, on the afternoon of April 21, six first-year high school players sexually harassed and verbally and physically assaulted a second-year player by forcing him to pull down his pants at the Gimpo FC youth team dormitory located in Tongjin-eup, Gimpo City.

It is reported that the assault and sexual harassment took place during free time after returning to the dormitory following training that day.

After confirming the facts, Gimpo FC held a disciplinary committee and terminated the contracts of all six offending players.

Additionally, three other first- and second-year high school players who either condoned or witnessed the crimes were disciplined with suspensions of six games.

Among them, one was identified as a perpetrator and forcibly expelled, while the other two protested that the disciplinary measures were excessively harsh and voluntarily left the team. As a result of these actions, the number of players in the Gimpo FC youth team decreased from 34 to 26.

The victim is currently reported to be experiencing severe mental stress and pressure.

Members of a civic group are holding a press conference in front of Gimpo City Hall, Gyeonggi Province, last March, demanding a thorough investigation and punishment of those responsible for the case of a Gimpo FC youth player who died by suicide last year.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

A Gimpo FC official stated, “After recognizing the occurrence of sexual harassment, we immediately separated the perpetrators and the victim,” adding, “We reported the matter to the Professional Football Federation and are currently investigating the players’ training conditions.”

Previously, last year, a youth player from Gimpo FC left a suicide note and took an extreme action.

A, a youth player of Gimpo FC, left a suicide note around 2 a.m. on April 27 last year in the dormitory building in Masan-dong, Gimpo City, stating that “there was verbal abuse from coaches and bullying from fellow players,” before taking the extreme step.

In response, the Korea Football Association held a fairness committee on the 2nd but failed to reach a conclusion on the matter, and held another fairness committee at the Football Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 9th, one week later.

As a result of the fairness committee, former youth team coach B of Gimpo FC, identified as a perpetrator, was suspended for three years, while former youth team director C and former coach D of Gimpo FC were each suspended for two years. The disciplined coaches were also booked without detention in April this year on charges of child abuse under the Child Welfare Act.

Furthermore, the coach and player of TMG FC (U-15) in Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province, where the player who took the extreme action belonged during middle school, were each suspended for one year. Those under suspension are prohibited from any activities under the jurisdiction of the Korea Football Association.

Regarding this, the bereaved family of A stated, “The disciplinary measures by the Korea Football Association are too lenient and unacceptable,” and added, “We will proceed with an appeal.”

Once the disciplinary results are announced, an objection can be filed with the higher authority, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, within one week of receiving the notification.

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