Calls for criminal investigation into sexual abuse ‘cover-up’ claims against former South Korean speedskating official
- Jun Myeong-kyu, who resigned as vice-president of the Korea Skating Union last year, is accused of trying to sweep abuse allegations under the rug
An advocacy group has called for a criminal investigation into one of the most prominent figures in South Korean speedskating, following allegations that he covered up a series of sexual assaults.
Jun Myeong-kyu, who resigned as vice-president of the Korea Skating Union last year over corruption allegations, now stands accused of trying to stop victims like Olympic athlete Shim Suk-hee from speaking out.
Representatives of Solidarity for Young Skaters, the advocacy group, held a press conference on Monday demanding the investigation and also calling for Lee Ki-heung, the head of the Korea Sports and Olympic Committee, to step down.
Lee and the committee he heads are accused of failing to prevent sexual assaults on athletes despite earlier promises to do so. They have “lost the trust” of South Korea and its sporting community, the advocacy group said in a statement.
South Korean speedskating has been rocked by a sexual abuse scandal since double Olympic gold medallist Shim Suk-hee went public with her allegations against former coach Cho Jae-beom earlier this month.
The 21-year-old short-track star said Cho, who is already serving 10 months in jail for physical abuse against Shim and three other skaters, raped her multiple times beginning when she was 17.
