Violence and Sexual Violence in the Sports World: Reform the Structure That Turns Victims into Perpetrators
- The Answer Is Substantial Institutional Reform, Not Declarations
The issue of sexual violence in the sports world, which the community failed to address nearly a decade ago, has now boomeranged, resulting in a tragic incident on the 16th. The victim, a former national team coach in high school, suffered a summary and light disciplinary action against the perpetrator, and the resulting lack of protection and neglect from the sports community and the judiciary. This anger and frustration ultimately led her to take the extreme step of wielding a weapon. Institutional failure and neglect have created a devastating reality where victims are turned into perpetrators.
The background to this incident lies in the long-standing ills of the sports world: the recurrence of violence and sexual violence, yet the failure to address fundamental institutional issues. While the sports community has introduced numerous measures to eradicate violence and sexual violence in the name of "sports human rights," mechanisms to effectively protect and rehabilitate victims remain inadequate. Whistleblowers face disadvantages, and victims endure secondary victimization and stigma. Meanwhile, perpetrators retain their power and status and return to the field. This system perpetuates an abnormal situation where victims are driven to become criminals, yet the sports world continues to evade responsibility.
According to recent media reports, a total of 216 cases of misconduct by sports coaches occurred nationwide between 2022 and March 31st. Approximately 70% of these cases resulted in only light disciplinary action and return to school. Even after committing violence against students, coaches received lenient punishments like "warnings" or "reprimands," then returned to work as if nothing had happened.
Reported cases are also egregious. A high school coach in Gyeonggi Province stomped on students for training performance, only to receive a "warning" and return to work. A middle school coach in North Gyeongsang Province assaulted a student by grabbing his hair, but received only a "reprimand." The Office of Education's disciplinary guidelines are vague and limited to recommendations, lacking any real enforcement power. Disciplinary action is often dictated by the victim's wishes or the influence of their parents, and the human rights of student athletes are often neglected. Five years have passed since the death of the late Choi Sook-hyun revealed the true face of violence in the sports world, but the reality remains largely unchanged.
Furthermore, the fact that this incident occurred less than a month after the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism declared a "zero tolerance policy for violence and corruption in the sports world" in late August raises fundamental questions about the effectiveness of government measures. The Ministry emphasized that it strengthened the authority of the Sports Ethics Center and introduced the right to demand re-disciplinary action based on the revised National Sports Promotion Act. However, these declarations ring hollow in the face of structural problems and institutional deficiencies. This incident clearly reveals that while the government advocates zero tolerance, the reality is that victims are still being neglected.
Thus, the structural neglect and incompetence of the sports community and the government are not only failing to protect victims, but also granting perpetrators a free pass. As a result, victims are isolated, and a vicious cycle of anger and frustration drives them to commit further crimes continues. This incident starkly exposes the structural problems within the sports community, where even the fundamental principles of victim protection and perpetrator punishment are not being implemented. We can no longer sustain stopgap measures or show-off systems. The government and the sports community must immediately devise the following fundamental measures:
- Strengthening the role and authority of an independent sports human rights organization and introducing clear sanctions – It is essential to acknowledge the ineffectiveness of the current system and introduce clear sanctions to prevent recurrence, so that an organization separate from sports organizations can exclusively handle victim protection, investigation, and support.
- Strengthening victim protection and recovery programs – A comprehensive protection system must be established, encompassing psychological treatment, legal assistance, and livelihood security.
- Strengthening the effectiveness of the perpetrator punishment and coach disqualification system – We must end lenient punishments and introduce clear sanctions to prevent recurrence.
- Strong measures to prevent secondary victimization – Legal and institutional mechanisms must be strengthened to prevent stigmatization and disadvantages for victims.
- Strengthening the shared responsibility of the relevant sports community and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism – Disciplinary standards for coaches must be specified, and mandatory application and supervision responsibilities must be clearly defined.
This incident is not an individual problem. We must confront it as a tragic and disastrous consequence of institutional failure and structural neglect. We can no longer tolerate a society that fails to protect victims and a sports community that instead portrays them as perpetrators. The government and the sports community must not shirk their responsibility but immediately take practical measures to reform the system and protect victims.
September 18, 2025
Cultural Action, Sports Human Rights Institute, Civic Network for Justice in Sport
Violence and Sexual Violence in the Sports World: Reform the Structure That Turns Victims into Perpetrators
- The Answer Is Substantial Institutional Reform, Not Declarations
The issue of sexual violence in the sports world, which the community failed to address nearly a decade ago, has now boomeranged, resulting in a tragic incident on the 16th. The victim, a former national team coach in high school, suffered a summary and light disciplinary action against the perpetrator, and the resulting lack of protection and neglect from the sports community and the judiciary. This anger and frustration ultimately led her to take the extreme step of wielding a weapon. Institutional failure and neglect have created a devastating reality where victims are turned into perpetrators.
The background to this incident lies in the long-standing ills of the sports world: the recurrence of violence and sexual violence, yet the failure to address fundamental institutional issues. While the sports community has introduced numerous measures to eradicate violence and sexual violence in the name of "sports human rights," mechanisms to effectively protect and rehabilitate victims remain inadequate. Whistleblowers face disadvantages, and victims endure secondary victimization and stigma. Meanwhile, perpetrators retain their power and status and return to the field. This system perpetuates an abnormal situation where victims are driven to become criminals, yet the sports world continues to evade responsibility.
According to recent media reports, a total of 216 cases of misconduct by sports coaches occurred nationwide between 2022 and March 31st. Approximately 70% of these cases resulted in only light disciplinary action and return to school. Even after committing violence against students, coaches received lenient punishments like "warnings" or "reprimands," then returned to work as if nothing had happened.
Reported cases are also egregious. A high school coach in Gyeonggi Province stomped on students for training performance, only to receive a "warning" and return to work. A middle school coach in North Gyeongsang Province assaulted a student by grabbing his hair, but received only a "reprimand." The Office of Education's disciplinary guidelines are vague and limited to recommendations, lacking any real enforcement power. Disciplinary action is often dictated by the victim's wishes or the influence of their parents, and the human rights of student athletes are often neglected. Five years have passed since the death of the late Choi Sook-hyun revealed the true face of violence in the sports world, but the reality remains largely unchanged.
Furthermore, the fact that this incident occurred less than a month after the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism declared a "zero tolerance policy for violence and corruption in the sports world" in late August raises fundamental questions about the effectiveness of government measures. The Ministry emphasized that it strengthened the authority of the Sports Ethics Center and introduced the right to demand re-disciplinary action based on the revised National Sports Promotion Act. However, these declarations ring hollow in the face of structural problems and institutional deficiencies. This incident clearly reveals that while the government advocates zero tolerance, the reality is that victims are still being neglected.
Thus, the structural neglect and incompetence of the sports community and the government are not only failing to protect victims, but also granting perpetrators a free pass. As a result, victims are isolated, and a vicious cycle of anger and frustration drives them to commit further crimes continues. This incident starkly exposes the structural problems within the sports community, where even the fundamental principles of victim protection and perpetrator punishment are not being implemented. We can no longer sustain stopgap measures or show-off systems. The government and the sports community must immediately devise the following fundamental measures:
This incident is not an individual problem. We must confront it as a tragic and disastrous consequence of institutional failure and structural neglect. We can no longer tolerate a society that fails to protect victims and a sports community that instead portrays them as perpetrators. The government and the sports community must not shirk their responsibility but immediately take practical measures to reform the system and protect victims.
September 18, 2025
Cultural Action, Sports Human Rights Institute, Civic Network for Justice in Sport