Human rights watchdog to investigate Olympic star's rape scandal

National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) Chairwoman Choi Young-ae speaks about a plan to launch a special investigation unit to deal with violence and sexual abuse allegations in the sports circle and come up with countermeasures, during a press conference at the NHRCK building in central Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap

By Kim Jae-heun

The human rights watchdog will establish a special unit to investigate human rights violations and sexual assault in sports, planning for the largest-ever survey of athletes about their experiences of violence and other types of abuse.

The plan to eradicate such malicious practices has come amid revelations of sexual assault involving Shim Suk-hee, one of the nation's top short track speed skating stars.

“Violence has been justified in the training process here to win a medal and sexual violence came from there,” National Human Rights Commission of Korea Chairwoman Choi Young-ae said during a press conference at the commission's building in central Seoul, Tuesday. “Victims cannot fight back against such crimes and the closed structure of the sports sector discourages victims from revealing their situations.”

For the next year, the special unit will question athletes in all age groups in 50 events, and for events where sexual assault allegations have emerged, including skating and judo, all athletes will be interviewed as witnesses in the investigation.

A new center will be established to receive reports of abuse and sex crimes from athletes, provide legal support to victims and ask law enforcement authorities to investigate.

Young athletes at schools will receive education on sexual violence so they can report such crimes when they become targeted.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family are forming a consultative group to take part in the commission's plan.

Choi said the commission had conducted a similar inspection and presented preventive measures 10 years ago, suggesting policies to protect young athletes' human rights in 2007 and issuing guidelines in 2010.

But apparently such efforts have led to no big changes, and the story is beginning again along with Shim reigniting the #MeToo Movement in the sporting world.

“If the guidelines were carried out properly, the current gloomy situation would not have occurred. Not only the government and the Korean Sports and Olympic Committee, which have been negligent in carrying them out, but also the commission, which did not properly monitor the progress, are responsible,” Choi said.

“Our new initiatives are not very different from what we came up with 10 years ago. But I believe it is important to end this horrible practice in the sporting world. We have witnessed changes recently where victims are coming out to reveal the abuse they've suffered. This is important.”

On Jan. 8, Olympic gold medalist Shim revealed that her former national team coach Cho Jae-bum raped and harassed her repeatedly starting when she was a high school student in 2014.

Shim said she was preparing for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and she could not report her coach's crimes because she thought he could remove her from the national team.

Shim had previouslt accused Cho of physical assault and filed another lawsuit against him for sexual abuse Dec. 17.