Figure skating national team member Lee Hae-in receives a provisional injunction regarding sexual harassment… suspension of disciplinary action
Lee Hae-in attended the reconsideration of the Korea Sports Council’s Sports Fair Committee last August. Yonhap News
The suspension of national figure skating team member Lee Hae-in (19) for sexual harassment of a junior athlete has been suspended.
On the 12th, the Seoul Eastern District Court cited the provisional injunction suspending disciplinary action issued by Lee Hae-in. The court ruled that Lee Hae-in’s sexual behavior toward junior player A did not constitute molestation. He continued, “Indecent assault means an act that causes sexual shame or disgust and is against good sexual morals and infringes on the victim’s sexual freedom. All cases of molestation are committed solely because an adult has engaged in an act of affection with a youth under the age of 16. “It cannot be considered that it falls under this category,” he said.
Lee Hae-in received a three-year suspension from the Korea Skating Federation on charges of sexual behavior toward male athlete A, whom she dated during a training camp in Italy last May. The Korea Sports Council’s Sports Fair Committee confirmed the disciplinary action through reconsideration last August, and Lee Hae-in applied to the court for a provisional injunction to suspend the effect of the disciplinary action.
The court accepted the argument of the person in question, saying, “Even if A was under 16 years of age at the time, it is difficult to recognize that the person in interest’s actions in this case constitute the forcible molestation of a minor as defined in Article 305, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Act.”
Lee Hae-in said, “I am truly grateful for the court’s decision,” and added, “I am deeply reflecting on and regretting my mistake of behaving inappropriately as a national team player. Since you have given me the last chance, I will focus on training so that something like this will not happen again in the future.” He said. He added, “I am sincerely grateful to everyone who supported me despite my shortcomings.”
Lee Hae-in, who temporarily restored her athlete status following the court’s injunction, plans to compete in the 2024 National Men’s and Women’s Figure Skating President’s Cup Ranking Competition to be held at the Uijeongbu Indoor Ice Rink in Gyeonggi-do starting on the 28th.
Separately from the injunction to suspend effect on this day, the main lawsuit confirming the invalidity of disciplinary action is in progress. Afterwards, Lee Hae-in actively refuted the charge of sexual harassment by a junior, citing social media (SNS) as evidence showing that she and A were in a romantic relationship.
