South Korean volleyball team’s star twins dropped after bullying pasts emerge

Lee Jae-yeong and Lee Da-yeong were banned by the national team and their V-League club after they admitted to abusing teammates a decade ago

At least four of their middle school teammates alleged abuse, including punching, being threatened with a knife and being forced to hand over money

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South Korean women volleyball twin stars Lee Jae-yeong, left, and Lee Da-yeong of the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders. The two were suspended from the national team over allegations of school bullying. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:25pm, 15 Feb 2021Updated: 7:22am, 16 Feb 2021

The twin volleyball stars on South Korea’s national women’s team were dismissed from the squad on Monday after they both owned up to their bullying pasts, despite the fact that both had played key roles in helping the team win a berth at the Tokyo Olympics.

Lee Jae-yeong, 25, and her twin sister Lee Da-yeong, who both play for the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders in South Korea’s domestic V-League, admitted to bullying their teammates 10 years earlier in middle school and apologised to the unidentified victims. The Pink Spiders also suspended the twins.

At least four former middle school teammates have come forward with allegations that the twins had verbally and physically abused them, taking advantage of their status as star players.

“We feel a deep sense of responsibility to all fans of volleyball that we’ve let down,” said the Pink Spiders, who are currently in first place in the V-League. “Bullying among student-athletes must never occur and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. Given the gravity of the situation, we have decided to ban the two athletes indefinitely.”

In dropping the twins from the national team, the Korea Volleyball Association (KVA), the sport’s amateur governing body, cited a rule stating that any athlete or official who causes “social disturbances” may not represent the country at international competitions.