South Korea coach suspended for controversial ”marathon physical contact” incident

Superintendent Kim Wan-gi of Samcheok City Hall, who caused controversy when he made excessive physical contact with runner Lee Soo Min as she crossed the finish line at the Incheon Marathon in November,
The Samcheok City Athletic Association held a Sports Fairness Committee meeting on the 10th and decided to suspend track and field team coach Kim for one year and six months for abuse of power and dereliction of duty.
Earlier, track and field team members submitted a petition alleging that Kim had abused his power and neglected his duties, but the controversial inappropriate physical contact was not included.
At the Sports Fair Commission hearing held on the same day, it was reported that neither Lee nor the other athletes who attended the hearing made any mention of inappropriate physical contact.
A sports association official said, "Lee did not feel any sexual shame during the marathon and did not want to have a related discussion at the Fair Trade Commission."
The petition reportedly included allegations that Coach Kim had abused his authority with players who were about to renew their contracts and neglected his duties by not creating training plans.
Last month, at the Incheon Marathon, Coach Kim grabbed Lee to support him as he crossed the finish line, and Lee's uncomfortable expression was shown on the live broadcast, raising questions about whether he had engaged in excessive physical contact.
This caused controversy. Coach Kim responded to this through various media outlets the day after the race, saying, "In marathons, there are many cases where athletes collapse as soon as they reach the finish line, and if we don't grab them for the sake of their safety, it will be a big problem."
"This time too, the player's body leaned forward, so I grabbed him, but in the process, my arm hit his stomach area, causing pain, so I told him to take a rest," Kim said.
He seemed to shake it off instantly." He added, "Lee apologized, saying, 'It was so painful that I unconsciously reacted like that. I'm sorry.'"
Coach Kim, whose contract with the Samcheok City Hall track and field team expires this month, has informed the sports association of his intention to resign from his position as coach as the problem escalates.
It was understood that this was communicated.