South Korean police are investigating a former speed skater who stabbed her onetime coach, a man she previously accused of rape during her high school years. Authorities say the attack highlights long-running tensions over unresolved allegations of abuse within the nation’s sports community.
According to Nowon Police Station, the incident occurred at 7:25 p.m. Tuesday at the Taereung International Ice Rink in northern Seoul. The suspect, a woman in her 30s, allegedly attacked the coach, now in his 40s, with a knife, leaving him with injuries to his face and hand. He was transported to a nearby hospital and is expected to recover.
During questioning, the suspect admitted that her actions were driven by dissatisfaction with how her past accusations against the coach were handled. More than a decade ago, she filed a case claiming he had raped her when she was still a high school student under his training.
The case was investigated at the time, and the coach was referred to the prosecution on charges of rape and aggravated assault. However, the rape allegation was dismissed due to what authorities said was insufficient evidence. Instead, in 2016 he was issued a summary fine of 3 million won (about $2,170) for the assault charge.
The Korea Skating Union initially expelled the coach permanently in 2014. But following the dropped rape charge, the punishment was reduced in 2017 to a three-year suspension, allowing him to return to coaching once the ban expired. Critics argue the decision sent the wrong message about accountability in sports.
The controversy deepened after the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee introduced new rules barring anyone with a suspension longer than one year from serving as a coach. Because the clause was implemented after the coach’s case, it did not apply retroactively, enabling him to resume his career despite his past misconduct.
The stabbing has reignited debate in South Korea over how sports organizations and legal authorities handle allegations of abuse and misconduct. In recent years, the country’s athletics community has been rocked by cases of harassment, assault, and abuse of power by coaches and officials.
Police said the suspect remains in custody and is being investigated on charges of assault with a deadly weapon. They have not yet determined whether she will face additional charges, such as attempted murder.
The case has drawn significant public attention due to the sensitive history between the two individuals. Advocates for victims of abuse say it underscores the trauma survivors endure when legal and institutional systems fail to provide closure.
As the investigation continues, questions remain over whether reforms in South Korea’s sporting community have gone far enough to protect athletes and prevent past offenders from regaining positions of influence.
For now, both the suspect and her former coach remain at the center of a case that intertwines unresolved allegations of abuse with a violent act of retribution more than a decade later.
