In 2019, Shim Suk-hee, known as the "Queen of Short Track Speed Skating" in South Korea, took her former coach to court. Shim accused the coach of repeatedly sexually assaulting her, and it began when she was still in high school, leading to a four-year-long abuse. Even on the eve of competitions, he did not let her go. After the incident came to light, it sparked heated discussions among netizens. No one expected that Shim, one of South Korea's most famous athletes who had won multiple world championships for her country, would suffer such injustice behind the scenes.
Who exactly is this beastly coach, and what was the outcome of the situation?
After the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, where Shim Suk-hee won the gold medal in the women's relay event, she filed a lawsuit against her coach, Cho Jae-beom. The reason was that Shim had endured seven years of unwarranted beatings from coach Cho Jae-beom, including four years of sexual assault. This news immediately caused a stir among netizens, as it was this coach who had been with Shim since elementary school until she became famous and won championships.
Shim started skating when other children were just learning to walk, and she could already glide smoothly on the ski slopes. Her parents also discovered her potential and began to fully cultivate her as a short track speed skater. In 2012, at the age of only 15, Shim made her international debut and won two gold medals in the 500m and 1000m events. That same year, at the World Junior Championships, she shocked the entire ice rink with her astonishing performance, sweeping five gold medals in the 500m, 1000m, 1500m, and other events. Everyone marveled at how Shim seemed born for short track speed skating, never disappointing in every competition and even surprising everyone.
Coach Cho Jae-beom indeed provided Shim with guidance and assistance in short track speed skating during the early stages of her career. However, as time went on, Cho Jae-beom's true colors began to gradually emerge. He not only subjected Shim to long-term verbal and physical abuse but also inflicted similar torment on some of her other teammates. But even more terrifying was that starting from when Shim was 17 years old, she was still a high school sophomore when Cho Jae-beom began to take advantage of his position and power to invade her. This invasion occurred not only in the training field and locker rooms but even on the eve of competitions, he was unwilling to let her go.
Shim once tried to resist, but Cho Jae-beom's threats and violence plunged her into despair. He warned Shim that if she dared to expose this matter, he would end her athletic career. Under fear and pressure, Shim could only silently endure this pain. She thought that as long as she was patient and obedient enough, she could exchange it for Cho Jae-beom's "letting go."
However, Shim thought too simply because not only did Cho Jae-beom's evil deeds not subside, but they became more and more rampant due to her silence. From 2014 to 2018, Cho Jae-beom violated Shim a staggering 30 times. These criminal acts mainly occurred in places like the coach's locker room at the ice rink of the Korean Sports University and the Korean Taereung Athletes' Village. After each violation, Shim could only rely on medication to control her emotions; otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.
During these dark days, Shim's mental state was extremely poor, and she even once fell into depression to the point of wanting to commit suicide to escape despair. However, out of love for short track speed skating, Shim ultimately chose to face it bravely. Therefore, in court, Shim presented a large amount of evidence that could prove Cho Jae-beom's criminal behavior. This evidence included medical records, text message chat records, etc.
Faced with irrefutable evidence, although Cho Jae-beom firmly denied all charges, he was eventually sentenced to prison. He was removed from his position as the national team coach and sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison. This verdict made the Korean people happy and relieved for Shim because she finally escaped from that nightmare.
However, things did not end there. After Cho Jae-beom was punished, some of Shim's other behaviors gradually came to light. During the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Shim and her teammate Choi Min-jeong advanced to the 1000m final together. However, during the competition, the two suddenly collided and fell off the track, which aroused widespread attention and questioning from the public. After the investigation, it was found that Shim was suspected of deliberately colliding with her teammate Choi Min-jeong. This discovery shocked everyone. Who would have thought that this Olympic champion, who once bravely exposed her coach's misdeeds, would engage in such behavior?
Even more shocking was that during the investigation, other improper behaviors of Shim were discovered. Not only did Shim illegally eavesdrop in the locker room, but she also publicly insulted her teammates and belittled the national team coaches on social media platforms. She even formed cliques within the team to target certain teammates. These actions caused Shim's reputation to plummet, transforming her from a victim into a perpetrator, causing people to sigh with regret.
Ultimately, after multiple misdeeds were exposed, Shim was suspended for two months and missed the Beijing Winter Olympics that was about to take place. It was learned through some information and news that similar incidents are not uncommon in the Korean sports circle. This is closely related to the prevailing "senior culture" in South Korea. In this culture, seniors hold high authority and status, and juniors must strictly follow etiquette norms and obey the words of their seniors. This unequal relationship has led to frequent bullying and abuse.
Shim used her experience to warn people to bravely stand up and expose evil deeds and protect themselves. Through this incident, we saw the dark side of the world and the complex facets of human nature. At the same time, it also reminds us to always stay vigilant and bravely stand up to expose evil deeds and protect ourselves. Only in this way can we make the world a better and fairer place.
Information sources:
Global Times - South Korean Short Track Speed Skating Queen Sues Former Coach: Sexually Assaulted for 4 Years Since Sophomore Year of High School
Global Times - Scolding Teammates, Belittling Coaches, Famous South Korean Short Track Speed Skater Disqualified!
Red Star News - Famous South Korean Short Track Speed Skater Misses Beijing Winter Olympics! She Was Harmed by Her Coach, but Also Had a Bad Record
The Paper - Famous South Korean Short Track Speed Skater Shim Suk-hee Testifies Against Former Coach in Court: Invaded More Than 30 Times
