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Rape, violence and a culture of fear: the dark side of South Korea’s Olympic success

  • For years, South Korea has excelled at speedskating – winning more Olympic golds than any other country. But its success has come at a cost

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A training session at the Gangneung Oval speedskating venue in South Korea. Photo: EPA

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has called for a thorough investigation into a flurry of sexual assault allegations against senior members of the country’s tight-knit sporting community.

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“The recent spate of statements about violence and sexual assaults … reveal the seedy side of South Korea as a sports powerhouse. We must not lose this chance to reform,” he said at a meeting with his aides on Monday.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Photo: Kyodo
South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Photo: Kyodo

The allegations began surfacing last week, when 21-year-old double Olympic gold medallist Shim Suk-hee accused her former coach of sexual abuse starting when she was 17.

Cho Jae-beom, the coach in question, had already been found guilty in September of physically assaulting Shim and three other skaters, and was jailed for 10 months.

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But according to Representatives of Solidarity for Young Skaters – an advocacy group set up by Yeo Jun-hyung, another former national speedskating coach – “Shim’s case is merely the tip of the iceberg”.

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