According to JTBC reports, a serious sexual assault case has emerged within South Korea’s middle school national triathlon training camp. A third-year student athlete is accused of repeatedly assaulting a younger teammate during winter training and secretly recording the incidents.
The victim, a second-year student who was also selected for the national team earlier this year, told JTBC that she was coerced and assaulted multiple times by the older teammate. Audio recordings obtained by the broadcaster reportedly captured the suspect making threats and using abusive language to force her into compliance. Other athletes alleged that the suspect filmed the assaults without consent, later using the recordings as blackmail and even sharing them with other teammates.
The abuse came to light when another student, unable to tolerate the situation, secretly copied evidence from the suspect’s device and reported it to a coach. This whistleblower’s actions ultimately exposed the case.
During the training camp, male and female athletes were assigned to separate rooms but placed on the same dormitory floor. Coaches and supervisors were also staying on the same floor, but they told JTBC they had no knowledge of the incidents.
JTBC further reported that the Sports Fairness Committee obtained statements from the accused student, who denied the allegations. He claimed that he had previously been in a relationship with the victim and believed the encounters were consensual, also insisting that the videos were recorded with mutual agreement. His testimony directly contradicts the victim’s account.
The case has raised serious questions about oversight and supervision in youth sports programs, with investigations still underway.
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