South Korea Will Interview Thousands Of Athletes After Rape And Abuse Allegations
A recent wave of physical and sexual abuse accusations reveals entrenched problems in the competitive training culture of one of Asia's rising sports powers, sports and rights experts say.
South Korea's human rights commission is launching a sprawling investigation into sexual abuse and violence in sports, following multiple allegations that coaches mistreated and attacked athletes.
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea plans to interview thousands more athletes, including children and adults, about possible mistreatment.
"Physical and sexual harassment in the sports community take place repeatedly within a structured system, rather than accidentally," the commission's chief Choi Young-ae told a news conference in Seoul last week. "Violence is exonerated in the performance-centered culture."
The commission, an independent body set up by the government,
