Korean skating: How a female skater who fought sexual assault was criticized

The fame of a famous female athlete has fallen to the ground.

On October 24, the South Korean police launched an investigation into the Korean national short track athlete, and on October 28, the Korean Skating Federation Investigation Committee began questioning her. The athlete’s name is Shim Seok-hee (24), a talented skater who won four medals, including two gold, at the Pyeongchang Olympics in February 2006.

The allegations against Sim will be discussed in detail later, but until recently she was considered a hero as a woman who fought against sexual abuse.

“Right after the PyeongChang Olympics, she accused her former national coach, Mr. A, of sexually assaulting her. Her courageous complaint received a lot of praise from within the country,” said a reporter from a Korean newspaper.

The dispute between Shim and Mr. A developed into a court battle. What became clear at the trial was the appalling behavior of Mr. A. From August 2002, when Shim was a sophomore in high school, to December 2005, he repeatedly sexually assaulted, indecently assaulted, and threatened Shim 29 times over a period of more than three years. In particular, the crimes committed prior to 2004 have been called into question in court as violations of laws regarding the protection of minors’ sexuality.

“It is said that the catalyst for the series of crimes was Mr. A’s discovery of the relationship between Sim and her boyfriend. He asked her what kind of skin-to-skin contact she had with him, and then asked her to have a relationship with him.

He is said to have sexually assaulted her at the athlete’s village and at the skating rink of the Korea National University of Sport Sciences, saying, “You have to give yourself up to concentrate on the competition,” and “You have to give yourself to me, your coach. Sim was resolute and testified in court about the entire crime.

Abusive language written in the messages

Initially, Mr. A denied Shim’s claim, saying that he had not sexually assaulted her, but later changed his claim, saying that it was consensual. He was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison at the first trial in January this year, and an even heavier sentence of 13 years in prison at the second trial in September.

Following the verdict, it seemed that Sim’s fame would continue to grow. However, …….

“I’m sure you’ve heard of it. At the Pyeongchang Olympics, he may have cheated to win a medal.

In the short message exchange revealed in the opinion, there were abusive words written against Player B, with whom I had a rivalry at the time. This was the start of a series of scandals reported by the media. Sim had eavesdropped on the conversation between B and her coach. In the women’s 1000m final at the PyeongChang Olympics, Sim may have deliberately crashed into B, causing her to fall, etc.”

When the allegations surfaced, Sim released a statement and apologized.

“I have disappointed many people with my immature attitude and behavior during the PyeongChang Olympics. I sincerely apologize.”

However, if the wiretapping is true, it would be a violation of the Communications Security Act, which is a fine crime. Not only the Korean Skating Commission, but also the police were involved.

Sim, who had been regarded as a hero, became the target of heavy criticism. He was removed from the Korean national team, and it became almost hopeless for him to participate in the Beijing Olympics next February, which he had set as his goal.