Runner says she felt pain and received no apology in ‘marathon harassment’ controversy

Kim Wan-gi, left, coach of the Samcheok City Hall team, wraps runner Lee Su-min with a towel moments after she crosses the finish line at the 2025 Incheon Marathon at Incheon Munhak Stadium on Sunday, drawing controversy over unnecessary physical contact. Captured from KBS Sports YouTube

Lee Su-min, the domestic women’s champion at the 2025 Incheon International Marathon, has challenged her coach’s explanation over an incident involving physical contact at the finish line, saying she “did not receive any form of apology” and emphasizing that the issue was about unexpected pain, not sexual intent.

The controversy began on Nov. 23 in the Songdo district of Incheon, where Lee, representing the Samcheok City Hall team, finished first in the domestic women’s division. Immediately after she crossed the line, coach Kim Wan-gi approached and attempted to wrap a towel around her upper body.

Broadcast footage showed Lee grimacing and pushing his arm away, while Kim appeared to tighten his hold. The clip spread online and sparked accusations of inappropriate contact.

In a statement posted on Instagram on Nov. 25, Lee clarified that she never labeled the incident as “sexual harassment.” “The core issue is not whether there was sexual intent,” she said. “It is that I experienced severe pain from sudden, forceful physical contact right after finishing the race.”

Lee said she had been breathing heavily and disoriented when the contact occurred. “I suddenly felt a very strong pull on my body from the side,” she said. “At that moment, I felt sharp pain in my chest and solar plexus, and even when I tried to resist, the pressure on my arm made it difficult to break away.”

Photos released by KBS Sports show Lee pushing Kim’s arm away immediately after finishing the race, while he continued trying to wrap her with a towel, a practice commonly used to prevent hypothermia.

Lee also criticized Kim for not offering a direct apology. She said she learned later that the person who had grabbed her was her coach and told him she had experienced pain, but “there was no concrete apology or acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Instead, he shifted the conversation.”

She added that Kim publicly claimed he acted to prevent injury before speaking to her. “It was shocking to see him declare he had done nothing wrong without any prior discussion,” she said. “For someone responsible for protecting athletes to release explanations without speaking to me first was distressing and confusing.”

Lee said Kim made no attempt to resolve the issue or speak with her even after the controversy grew online.

She said she chose to speak publicly to prevent similar incidents. “I am afraid of potential repercussions,” she said. “But I believed that clearly describing what I felt and experienced is necessary to keep this from happening again.”

Lee apologized to spectators and supporters for the situation. “I am sorry that a festival-like event became overshadowed by controversy,” she wrote. “And I sincerely apologize to everyone who supported me for showing such an uncomfortable scene.”

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