"Personal PT, Is This How It's Usually Done?" Sexual Harassment Controversy Examined

Female Member Sexual Harassment Report
Police and Prosecutors 'No Charges'

Last March, a female member receiving personal training (PT) at a gym reported being sexually harassed by her trainer, but both the police and prosecution dismissed the case, stating that the physical contact during the training process was unintentional. The fact that the gym was an open space and there were no sexually offensive remarks also served as grounds for the dismissal.

This photo is not directly related to the article. [Image source=Getty Images]

A, who reported being sexually harassed at a gym in Gyeonggi Province, said in an interview with CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" on the 23rd that she "cannot accept the result" of the recent dismissal notice from the police and prosecution.

At the time, A filed a complaint after judging that the physical contact during the PT session was excessive. However, the police and prosecution dismissed the sexual harassment report, citing reasons such as ▲ no sexually offensive remarks were made ▲ physical contact was unavoidable during personal PT and appeared unintentional ▲ the gym had an open layout ▲ similar physical contact occurred with other members as well.

The main issue A raised was the lack of 'prior notice.' She countered, "Just because it was an open space with people around does not mean it doesn't cause feelings of shame," and added, "That day was the first PT session, which involved a body shape assessment," emphasizing that "there was no prior notice or consent regarding the touch (physical contact) at all."

The situation described by A was captured exactly on the gym's CCTV.

CCTV footage. [Photo by SBS]

A also addressed the trainer's explanation that the contact was to "check muscle mass," stating, "The first thing I said to trainer B was, 'Is it normal to touch like this?'" indicating that she clearly warned him.

She further said, "The exercise videos posted on the trainer's YouTube channel for educational and promotional purposes used only one or two fingers or fingertips, but never the excessive contact like massaging the entire palm as was done to me," emphasizing, "Therefore, this person clearly knows to be cautious about such matters, and just because there have been no issues until now does not mean it can be generalized."

She continued, "There are rumors that I demanded a settlement of 300 million won, but that is absolutely not true. I have never requested a refund nor received one," and added, "If this ends here, similar incidents like mine will continue to happen, so I intend to pursue this to the end."

Regarding this, fitness trainer Choi Seong-jo, known as the 'Gankodeungeo Coach,' said on "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show," "Generally, trainers try to minimize contact by checking with their fingertips to see if the muscles are engaged," and added, "Although teaching styles vary by person, behaving in a way that makes someone feel uncomfortable is wrong."

He also mentioned 'specific manuals,' saying, "In large centers, service training sometimes provides guidance, but overall, manuals or systems have not been clearly established yet," and added, "If contact is excessive, measures like suspending business could be implemented to raise awareness, which might lead to improvements."

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