Ex-short track coach given heavier sentence at appeals court

By Kang Seung-woo

An appellate court increased the prison sentence imposed by a lower court on former national short track speed skating coach Cho Jae-beom to 18 months, Wednesday. A district court had found Cho, 38, guilty of repeatedly assaulting four athletes, including Olympic gold medalist Shim Suk-hee, and sentenced him to 10 months imprisonment.

Cho Jae-beom

“The defendant left young victims with indelible scars from his verbal and physical violence. His claim that he used violence to encourage athletes during training is unacceptable,” the appeals court at the Suwon High Court said in a ruling.

“In addition, Cho once had an indictment suspended over an earlier assault charge in 2012, but continued to use violence against his athletes without any hint of contrition.”

Cho's trial has garnered headlines given that one of the victims was Shim, a two-time Olympic champion in the women's short track speed skating. His crimes were revealed weeks ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics held in February 2018, when she left the national team training facility to avoid further assaults.

The other three skaters had agreed to settle the issue out of court, but the court said the settlement was not voluntary.

“Through his colleagues in the sports circle, Cho coaxed them into the settlement, and it seems the victims were under grave mental pressure,” it said. Two of them withdrew the settlement when Shim disclosed another incident in which Cho sexually assaulted her in January.

In the wake of the violence scandal, Cho received a lifetime ban from the Korea Skating Union (KSU).

Along with the assault charges, the prosecution is conducting a separate investigation into the sexual assault allegations made by Shim against Cho.

According to Shim, 22, Cho had sexually assaulted her since 2014 when she was 17. The former coach strongly denies the allegations.