KSOC chief apologizes amid #MeToo
Human rights center for athletes will be established
Lee Kee-heung, president of the Korea Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), apologized to the public for the sexual harassment and assault cases, amid allegations KSOC was not there for the victims.
During a KSOC board member meeting at the Olympic Parktel hotel in southern Seoul on Tuesday, the head of the national Olympic committee unveiled a set of measures to fight sex crimes in sports.
“I offer my apologies for the athletes who were victimized by sexual assault. I admire them for their courage to speak out in public about their painful experiences,” he said.
Following his apology, Lee unveiled a set of measures to stop sexual abuse in sports.
Under the scheme, KSOC will hire a woman for a vice head position of the national training center as well as female staff to train athletes. A human rights center will be set up in the national training center to protect the rights of athletes.
Lee said KSOC will invite outside experts to investigate sexual assault cases involving athletes in a fair and transparent manner.
Those who tried to cover up sexual assaults cases will be punished and related sports associations will be suspended, he warned.
Lee said KSOC will investigate the Korea Skating Union regarding the sexual assault case involving short track speed skater Shim Suk-hee, adding that those found to be responsible for the case will face consequences. The KSOC head vowed to overhaul the current training sys- tem which required athletes and coaches to share in-house dormitories during the training period for international competitions and fix the social hierarchy between athletes and coaching staff.
His apologies and quick-fix measures, however, didn’t allay the worsening public opinion of the country’s Olympic committee for their previous inaction.
A group of activists held a separate news conference in front of the Parktel hotel.
They accused KSOC for its responsibility in the decades-long abusive system in sports.
They urged Lee to step down to take responsibility for the sexual assault cases.
Activist Kim Sang-beom alleged the KSOC is partly at fault for the chronic sexual assaults in sports and tried to cover up those cases whenever they occurred. He said the #MeToo movement in sports came as KSOC had not taken effective measures to stop sexual violence.
KSOC’s survey released last week became a source of criticism. According to the KSOC poll conducted of athletes, sexual assault cases in sports have been decreasing dramatically.
Activists mocked the results, claiming it shows the committee’s incompetence and ignorance.
KSOC chief Lee unveiled the belated measures a day after President Moon Jae-in’s remarks about the #MeToo movement in sports. During a meeting with presidential staff, Moon expressed worries about the “results-driven” training in national teams. “Athletes are supposed to play their sports to fulfill their own goals or improve their skills on their own. They are supposed to enjoy their sports and have fun with it,” he said. “I think violence or putting pressure on athletes cannot be justified under any circumstances. Not even Olympic medals justify athletes’ sacrifices or suffering.”
Moon made the remarks as the #MeToo movement spread in sports.
Former judoka Shin Yoo-young revealed on Monday that she was also the victim of sexual assault.
Like Shim, Shin said she had been sexually assaulted by her coach since she was 16. Her remarks came days after Shim claimed her coach sexually assaulted her for four years starting in 2014.