Iranian athletes arrested in Korea over alleged sexual assault

The exterior of the Gumi Police Station in North Gyeongsang Province. Korea Times file

Three Iranian nationals — two athletes and one coach — participating in the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, have been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a Korean woman.

According to police, a report was filed around 7 a.m. Saturday, stating that a woman in her 20s had been sexually assaulted at a hotel in Gumi.

Police responded and arrested two athletes in their 30s and one coach at the hotel.

Initial investigations suggest the suspects met the victim at a bar near the athletes’ village in Gumi before taking her to a hotel, where the alleged assault occurred.

Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the full circumstances of the incident.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.