Sex abuse, bullying claims in South Korea against Ki Sung-yueng and other sports stars show rising awareness of misconduct

Footballer Ki Sung-yueng is the latest in a string of South Korean sports star to have been accused of either sexually abusing or bullying a teammate

Experts say the flood of complaints shows attitudes are changing and hope this could be a catalyst for changing the country’s unhealthy ‘obsession’ with medals

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South Korean professional footballer Ki Sung-yueng. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:00am, 9 Mar 2021Updated: 11:42am, 9 Mar 2021

A spate of sexual abuse and bullying claims against South Korean sports stars has prompted calls for the country to rethink its “obsession” with winning medals at any cost.

Footballer Ki Sung-yueng is among the latest names in a growing list of sports men and women to have been accused of misconduct, with two of his former school teammates claiming Ki forced them to perform oral sex on him in 2000 when Ki was 11 and his alleged victims one year younger.

Ki’s case follows renewed interest in sexual abuse allegations facing short-track speed skater Lim Hyo-jun, who has been accused of pulling down the pants of a teammate and exposing his body parts to female athletes at a gym, and a bullying case against four volleyball players, including twin sisters Lee Jae-yeong and Lee Da-yeong, who were suspended indefinitely by their V-League clubs after admitting to having bullied teammates in school. Last month another volleyball player, Park Sang-ha, abruptly retired when faced with charges of bullying.

South Korean women volleyball twin stars Lee Jae-yeong and Lee Da-yeong. Photo: AFP

However, experts say the sudden flood of cases is not a sign that misconduct is becoming more common. Rather, they argue, it shows that public awareness about sex abuse and bullying in schools is rising and that victims are feeling empowered enough to come forward. They say the country is doing more now to root out such instances of misbehaviour and are hopeful that the increased transparency can be the first step to addressing what many see as an outdated approach that prioritises winning medals over everything else.

FLOOD OF CASES

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