This is the best translation i can give you guys (had some help with gpt)
The national representative for women's figure skating, Lee Hae-in, has refuted allegations of sexual harassment of a minor teammate, claiming that it was an action that occurred between lovers. Meanwhile, the victim, skater C, has also expressed his stance.
Today (the 27th), skater C, through his legal representative, released a press statement revealing that during training in Italy, Lee Hae-in left a so-called "hickey" on him. After this happened, C was startled and hurriedly left the room.
At that time, Lee Hae-in asked skater C if he knew what a "hickey" was. C replied that her didn't really understand and suggested her to do it, but he was unaware of what a "hickey" actually was at the time.
Regarding the claim of a romantic relationship, C admitted that Lee Hae-in had suggested meeting again during the training period, and the following day, C did agree to meet again.
After returning from the training camp in Italy, C felt that continuing the relationship wasn't right and messaged Lee Hae-in, saying they should stop contacting each other.
However, around June 14, Lee Hae-in suggested that they continue a secret relationship, and C accepted this proposal.
On June 25, Lee Hae-in questioned skater C about the situation, attempting to gather evidence and manage the incident. Skater C claimed he came to fully understand the details of what had occurred through the process, which caused him substantial mental distress.
C also conveyed that he is currently finding it difficult to train due to the psychological impact and have started psychiatric treatment.
I honestly thought this was a simple Romeo and Juliet age thing, but A seems to be really chasing and pressuring the minor C into a relationship, and C is ambivalent. which makes sense, considering that if they were really mutually in an ongoing relationship with each other, C would have spoken out immediately to defend A. But then A spoke first. Sounds like B is skater A’s wingman.
I empathize with these kids. It must be terrible having such an intimate part of their lives exposed. I don't feel like we have sufficient facts to draw conclusions about the age difference, or whether there was pressure on the younger skater, or any other aspects of this story. I just hope the young boy gets the help that he needs.
To be honest KSU and Korean media handled this very poorly. The details given made easy for fans to track down who are A, B and eventually the victim C. I feel so sorry for him. I hope he will recover from this traumatic incident. Wishing him the best.
Google translate but the closing statement is important here: “In addition, player C said that he is currently in a difficult situation to train due to mental shock and has started psychiatric treatment.”
I hope people will remember this before they comment thoughtlessly on these threads - remember that regardless of the details there’s a child at the centre of this.
Truly, I feel so sad for him. His youth and confusion really come across in this statement, and I can’t imagine having to process a situation like this so publicly at such a young age. It makes complete sense that he’s not in the right state of mind to train right now.
It’s clear from multiple translations that this sentence states the minor is receiving treatment for the psychological impact of the situation. I don’t know why you’re implying that this is misinformation or a mistranslation when it is not.
My comment literally just says that there is a child at the centre of this situation and so people should take care not to comment on it thoughtlessly; there is absolutely no legitimate reason for you - or anyone - to take issue with that.
Such a messy situation! This should have been handled privately. I think Haein is in major denial stage and just trying to fix things but ironically making it so much worse for herself.
I just hope that they both don't do something crazy like suicide which is a huge issue in Korea.
This is a huge concern of mine. I really am horrified at how they have handled this. It's really sad all around. I'm kind of horrified for everyone involved. There was a better way to deal with this since all parties here are extremely young.
I’m worried about your last line too, suicide is a huge problem in many countries in Asia (including mine) and we see it often.
And with the things I’m seeing on here and Twitter, I would be worried for her. People from all over the world are wishing her dead and calling her a rapist and abuser and pedophile for giving her boyfriend at the time a hickey. If people called me a pedophile for being in what amounts to essentially a high school senior-freshman relationship I would kill myself for sure. Of course she showed some VERY poor judgment and this should have never happened, but personally I hope she stays safe. I see many people wishing the opposite on her.
ETA: obv concerned for C too, but they seem to be receiving a lot of support in online spaces. Abysmal handling of the situation by the fed though
Obviously no one should have to come to the point of becoming suicidal because of this but at the same time, she brought this onto herself and justice should come before and above the perpetrator’s feelings. In all the available translations it does sound like she was pursuing/pressuring the relationship even when the minor tried to end it and now she’s publishing private messages without the minor’s consent.
He didn’t know what a hickey was? So he’s a kid, then. However bad what happened at the camp was, what transpired after looks equally if not worse. She basically knew the relationship looked bad and then tried to gather evidence to dispute her guilt.
I've tried Google Translate and I'm so confused. Hopefully someone can kindly translate and I misunderstood about C seeking psychiatric treatment because of the whole thing. What a nightmare.
I think it’s good that C is seeking psychiatric treatment, this is a very stressful situation playing out on a national (and international) level and I hope that will help him feel supported.
Oh definitely. Just sad that it's come to that but he definitely needs all the support he can have now. Hope he's surrounded with his family and friends and is getting the comfort he needs.
A brief summary can be found [here](https://twitter.com/mavhanna/status/1806322390089056369?t=7wVMwwKTmWPcbmF0O88Tbg&s=19). I'll link a full translation if I find one.
I guess I just went to highschool in a different time, way before social media. This is how most people found out about things. Usually from a partner or friend telling about an experience with their partner. Maybe if you're lucky you would learn about it through TV first. There were no textbooks or guides for these things.
Agree 100%. It makes me feel old to hear that people think a conversation about a hickey is abuse. A conversation with a romatic partner about a hickey sounds like a consent conversation to me. Is a 3 year age gap is abuse? That really depends on the people, but it is only abuse in my mind if one of the parties is a child. If there was a major power difference, sure, then it is abuse, but I wouldn't think so in this case. (I think young teenage ice skaters might be too busy with practice and studying to worry about googling terms like "hickey". They would probaboy learn about such a thing from a romantic partner).
I think I learned about it from Grease... If not the musical then some TV show. I'm pretty dubious that a 15yo would be this innocent. Not impossible but it's just.... Really different from how I was raised (and my first kiss was age 19).
Ugh, that was annoying me so much. It completely negates the fact that just people something is normal or culturally acceptable doesn’t mean I have to personally think it’s acceptable! Brain development doesn’t magically change because you’re from a different country and there’s a huge developmental difference between their ages.
On the two other threads the most upvoted comments are saying exactly this and I quote there are bigger age gaps in figure skating and the cherry on top, “they were in a relationship.”
I think what is normal is sexual exploration and learning what these things are in an equitable, fun, supportive setting . The challenge is the difference in power (age, gender, etc) in this dynamic and whether he knew or understood what he was consenting to, and therefore if he was mature enough to consent at all.
The challenge is the difference in...gender...? I am confused, is this worse because they are of different gender? Do we think if two boys were in the same situation it would not have been considered abuse?
Great question! I was speaking to how difficult it is for folks to make sense and come to terms with the many complicated layers, and that gender is a layer here. Society at large, I’d argue, finds it hard to believe men can be sexually assaulted by women, let alone that men can be victims. Which makes it harder for most folks to come to a concrete belief about right and wrong here. The challenge is that we should aim to detangle any subconscious feelings we have about gender/sexuality from the facts of the case.
Full tweet thread:
*"C has made a statement through his legal representative, about the events*
*Haein left a kiss mark (hickey) during the camp, she initiated asking him if he knew what it was, while he did not know at the time*
*theyve met again during the camp (as hn stated in her post) and C later sent her a text asking her to stop contacting him/to stop seeing each other as he thought it was not right to continue*
*on june 14th she sent a text to see each other again and he accepted*
*then later on june 25th during the investigation she contacted him about it*
*the investigation and evidence collection\] and C states he was mentally shocked at this time*
*he currently is in a difficult mental situation and has started psychiatric treatment due to the trauma \[shock\]*
*difficult mental situation -> difficulty to train*
*im unsure of what is implied or not in english but psychiatric treatment isn’t necessarily medicaments, it can be therapy"*
The fact he didn't know what a hickey was really is sadly eye opening. As much as it must have been hard for her, she should have stopped the relationship the minute he decided it shouldn't continue.
Yeah a lot of people on the thread about her response were saying that an age gap of 3.5 years isn't a really big deal but when the difference in emotional maturity (ie not knowing what a hickey is) is this much then it's incredibly inappropriate (and gives her a lot of power over him).
3.5 is no big deal when all parties are fully developed adults but as teenagers? That’s a huge difference! That’s 14 versus 17 or stretching that 14.5 and 18! Just no.
sounds like she said it was inappropriate on her part and that they both strongly expressed an interest in keeping the relationship going even after the incident.
She obviously fucked up but if it wasn't for Korea's shitty misogynistic and conservative culture the punishment here would not be close to 3 years
idgaf if they got in a relationship when they were both minors. how the hell are you 19 and coming on to someone who doesn’t even understand the concept of a hickey???
And it’s still kinda weird at that age too. I get them being in the same sport level or environment might change things but I don’t recall many seniors going after juniors in my high school (and by “many” I mean “any”) and with Koreans being so particular about age hierarchies I don’t think they ever saw each other as equals.
A very rough initial Google translate gives me the impression that C had conflicted feelings about resuming the relationship at the camp (which, understandable for a first relationship when you are younger). Which should've been the massive hint to not push things further for more intimacy. A responsibility of the older party.
I'm gonna keep an eye out on Twitter for more translation sources and correct my statement above if needed.
1. https://x.com/seha_bk/status/1806333689497796953
^(also I've been deeply WTF-ing over the thought of looking at someone 3yrs younger than me during my teens and thinking that's a romantic interest. Like, no. That's someone to be platonic friends with, maybe to buddy/mentor)
In that translation it says that Haein asked if he knew what a hickey was and he said no but that she could try it if she wanted.
A casual reminder to people that you can't consent to something if you don't know what it is so him saying she could try it does not constitute as consent on his part. (And given that he left the room shocked and uncomfortable it sounds like he wouldn't have consented if he had known what it was).
Tbh, probably some fuzziness depending on... circumstances? cultural contexts? (my community generally frowns upon relationships when younger than college age).
Main point here would probably be skater C's feeling about the situation, rather than the age gap necessarily.
Same, relationships between freshmen-seniors are weird, but they’re cliche for a reason - because they happen. Often. I think the situation is not so black and white as some would like to make it out to be. Of course C is a victim, he didn’t even know what a hickey was. But I do not think A is a malicious rapist pedophile abuser like so many here are proclaiming. It is not unusual for these sorts of age gap relationships to happen.
Bring my post from the other thread, edited now since Athlete C has spoken out:
One thing I haven’t seen people discuss is the power dynamics cause by Haien Lee being a bigger, more respected figure skater internationally than presumably Athlete C is, and maybe even nationally too. So, now we know that there was a relationship with Athlete C and a person who, in spite also being a minor, was significantly older(in my experience teaching between 14 and 18 year olds, although both are immature, 14 year olds are generally much more so) and more respected in their joint field. Those power dynamics make the former relationships really uncomfortable for me.
The thing I’m stuck on, however, is that many of the former reports discuss the content as causing discomfort for Athlete C, which would make the actions illegal even if Athlete C was of age. I really wanted to believe Haien, but “It wasn’t assault, it was consensual” is a common excuse for people who are accused of what she’s accused of, and she has the benefit of getting her story out to her multitude of fans while Athlete C's own statement won't be as widespread due to his age/status as the victim/anonymity/relative lack of fame.
Man, I don't envy kids growing up in social media days. I don't know what happened there, but it's obvious that these 2 are navigating adolescence/boundaries and what it entails, and have been thrown into the lion's den by the federation.
C probably has a lot of sources of pain and trauma. Such as that he was manipulated by an adult while he was a child. But also that someone he clearly cares (or cared) about as a person is now banned for three years because of an incident involving him, that I don't think he actually intended to happen? From my understanding he didn't even report it as a sexual harassment case, rather it came up in the investigation? Correct me if I'm wrong.
I'm hoping that C gets the support he needs as well.
The poor boy😭 I haven't commented on any of this yet (mostly still in shock) but dear god. This is so disgusting, I hope he receives the support he needs and no one leaks his name to the media.
Okay, so now that it's clear what happened wasn't a happy informed consensual encounter that's only problematic because of an age difference, can people stop victim blaming this poor kid?
He was in way over his head, LHI took advantage of him not knowing even what a hickey is, and is now relying on presumptions of "but we were dating" and him being the guy to make herself look better. He feels like he was assaulted and made a complaint, and good for him.
It's not that simple. She asked him if it was okay and he said yes. Then afterwards he felt uncomfortable most likely because he was afraid of getting caught. She even acknowledged that it was her fault and he made it clear he wanted to stay in a relationship but just not see each other during camp anymore. He didn't report her, the details came out in the investigation.
Do I think she's a sadistic pedo out prowling for her next victim? I do not. Do I think she can learn? Yes.
Do I think she did anything criminal? Nope. Do I think she did something ethically wrong? Yes.
Do I think her sharing those photos exonerates her? Not remotely. I think it makes her look worse, actually, because it's throwing the minor under the bus. Even so I think it's immaturity rather than malice, using a minor to prop up your own wellbeing is literally what you're accused of, stop. Say "we were in a relationship, I'm sorry, I will reflect and mature." Save the screenshots for the retrial.
The idea of someone saying they don't want to lose the person who hurt them is hardly proof that nothing harmful was done; in fact, that's extremely common in outright abusive relationships, even. "most likely because he was afraid of getting caught" is also "blame the victim" 101. Can you like not?
Do I think she that the federation is acting responsibly here? Yes, I actually do. They should have 0 tolerance for stepping over these kinds of boundaries and it's better to have too many than too little (the effects of "too little" we can see everywhere in the sport).
I disagree that the federation is acting responsibly though. This should have been private. These kids are both traumatized due to the way this was handled. It's not about the punishment which could be fair, but about how this is completely public. I really hope nothing worse happens due to this but I am worried. Obviously she shouldn't have posted those screenshots but she's probably feeling desperate and not thinking rationally. This was made so much worse for both of the due to the way it was handled. And however skater C was feeling about the actual thing that happened, having it public like this made it 100 times worse for him too.
I don't disagree on that! Most federations turn a blind eye when this happens is what I meant, and I think that has proven historically to be a disaster and enabled further abuse.
But, do really think it would have been possible to keep this private if two top female skaters suddenly were suspended without this specific cause named, because that is actually what first happened and then people were outraged. Let's say they buckle up and stay mum about it and they don't release any reasoning--that can also lead to issues because a Fed not having any accountability on suspensions is ripe for misuse. If they do release it, then you have this.
The only way victims are protected is if people have good reason to trust an institution. But that's just not the case pretty much anywhere, and the people who suffer are the most vulnerable.
I think once all investigations are complete and punishments doled out then they can release a statement about the situation along with the names of the adults. The way this played out is terrible and they should have done a better job to protect the identity of the minor. The public does not need to know all the details especially when it is still an ongoing investigation.
I don’t think that they did release it though. Haein is truly the one responsible since she confirmed who C was, that they were in a relationship, etc. Without her confirmation it could’ve been anyone. I think people could’ve speculated or found it highly probable or something but it wouldn’t have been a sure thing and would’ve helped protect him.
it's very clear that after the incident he still wanted to confirm they were dating and Haein said yes we are.
I didn't know what a hickey is till I was 19. It's irrelevant.
It's also still not clear if skater C reported it himself? Or rather if it came out during the drinking investigation?
He is a victim, but that doesn't make her a malicious abuser and that doesn't mean a three year ban is appropriate. Conservative country with a misogynistic culture should indeed be criticized just as much as Haein because in America there would be something called a Romeo and Juliet law about this situation.
She's not facing 3 years in jail. This isn't criminal behavior, it's just unethical. R+J laws are about criminality, which this is not, and even if we were to look at it hypothetically if they covered this (which they don't because it's not that level) they actually would probably not cover this situation because:
1) he didn't want it, and
2) Korea actually has these laws and this falls outside of it. Granted, just outside of it, but outside of it nonetheless.
I used to work in child protection. None of y'all know what you're talking about.
After reading this, Haein should be ashamed of herself and I think a suspension should be enforced. You can clearly tell the power imbalance in the relationship from this statement. I hope he is doing okay and has his family around to support him.
Yep, totally selfish for Haein to be speaking so much about her Olympic dreams whilst this young boy is receiving psychiatric treatment and has qualified for it as a result of her behaviour to him. Disgusting lack of care, really makes you wonder about this ‘relationship’ if you can call it that. It doesn’t sound like she cares about this boy at all, very suspicious and she’s also putting private texts on her social media to win the court of public opinion- no concern for his safety or privacy. Shameless behaviour. I hope her victim can recover from this
I have also seen comments from her defenders trying to normalise relations between a younger teen and an older one ‘it was normal back when I was in school!’ honey, I hate to tell you this…
This is such a roller coaster. First it’s man that’s kinda harsh, to oh no she actually needs to arrested, then to huh maybe not that bad, and now back to nope it’s definitely still very bad.
Um if this is directed at me, chill. I was just pointing out the overall reaction over the past week or so. I don’t speak Korean, so all I can base everything on is those that can and the general sentiment going on in the threads.
Your comment was removed because it was unnecessarily hostile or contained threats. Please keep all discussion kind. You may repost your comment without the insults.
My heart goes out to him and I’m so sad and angry that this controversy has played out in the worst way possible; he shouldn’t have had to defend or explain himself. This is on KSU for publishing too much information about this incident in their initial press releases and allowing fans to identify the victim, and on Lee for further violating his privacy in her pathetic public statement.
She should have been suspended quietly with minimal information given to the public and a strong warning to respect the privacy of all involved. We never should have learned any of this information.
I also want to say that the way this subreddit rushed to her defence after she put out a statement framing their relationship as consensual was incredibly gross. The moment a 19-year-old investigated and sanctioned for sexually harassing a 15-year-old said, “Actually he was my boyfriend and totally cool with it,” you guys went, “Actually he was her boyfriend and totally cool with it!” I hope you have all learned a lesson here and will side with the victim the next time this happens, even if the victim is male. Because we all know the reaction on here would have been very different if their genders were flipped.
This. I really can't believe how quick people were to fully back her side of the story. What she said is bar for bar the standard playbook when accused of sexual harrassment. What else was she going to say?(I mean she could have fully owned up to it and apologized profusely and accepted the ban but, well, that was always unlikely.)
You are so right about this. Line for freaking line. Like all morals went out the window when she said they were in a relationship… upsetting to say the least.
It feels nice and good to perpetuate rape culture when you can claim it’s in the name of feminism while making sweeping generalisations about Korean society, I guess.
Which is even weirder since it was the KOREAN Skating Union that issued the three-year ban in the first, so clearly these actions aren't broadly acceptable there.
And the funniest part is that the most basic aspect of Korean culture is utter deference to age, even if it’s just one year, and especially if they’re of school age. Even if relationships between older women and younger men do happen, she will always be the Noona. There’s absolutely no way he eve saw himself as her equal at any point of their relationship.
I was worried that fans were going to force C to corroborate Haein’s statement to protect her but I’m glad he at least got to share his side of the story. Doesn’t change how awful the situation was, unfortunately.
Yeah KSU messed up. It should never have gotten to this point. They should have just left it as a disciplinary incident and not even mentioned C. The way they worded it left it open for so much speculation.
Well, yeah, there's the fact women's skating is way more popular on this subreddit than junior men's skating, so she has more fans than her victim. I totally agree that's the root cause of the disgraceful displays here. But people tried to dress up their personal bias as a feminist position and in the process perpetuated (and made up) harmful stereotypes about Korean society. Even more disgusting was the eagerness with which some of them rushed to deny and downplay the harm done to her victim, which I attribute to his gender because I'm almost certain they wouldn't have acted like that if the younger, more vulnerable party was a girl.
Feminism is about identifying and redressing the systemic harms caused by patriarchy, and sexual exploitation in all its forms, but especially exploitation enabled by power differentials due to age and status, is chief among them. People who think it's more feminist to side with a female predator than her underage male victim disgust me.
Oh my god… poor kid.
The statement makes it pretty obvious that she seemed to be pursuing this arrangement pretty strongly, he didn’t know what was going on and shows a pretty clear image of non-consent.
I just hope he is now in an environment where people are sensitive to his needs and condition.
Because Haien Lee is pretty and let's be real because she's a woman. If genders were reversed I doubt there would be people defending and excusing a 19 year old male who interacted this way with a 15 year old female.
Not trying to defend skater A, how she and KSU handled the situation left no privacy for the minor involved. I hope skater C receives support, especially given Korea's recent history of mental health issues among youth. But now that we know details which we really shouldn't be privy to, there's some nuance to this.
It sounds like teenagers poorly navigating boundaries and sexuality, while being public figures. Isn't it common for most people to learn what a hickey was when they first received one? Not exactly something that's taught in health class, but happens at many a high school freshman house party.
Just horrific for this situation to be blown up on national news, can't imagine how this impacts a teenager's relationships and feelings about intimacy moving forward. Truly feel awful for the poor kid caught up in this mess.
Regarding the Fed: how much can they actually 'conceal' what happened? After they suspend the athletes questions are going to arise and they couldn't exactly just say "drinking booze" - that wouldn't be believed given both the length of suspensions and the difference in length of the suspensions between the 2 athletes.
Maybe they could release the suspension news after all three skaters inevitably request retrials, given the severity of the situation. KSU handled the entire situation poorly in my opinion, not enough care given to the teenage athletes and one 20 year old (skater B) who's story seems even more unclear.
Everyone who read Haein’s statements and immediately for some reason went on about the age difference not being That Bad (???) and that this must’ve been a misunderstanding/technicality should feel ashamed. The victim’s statement is the one that should hold the most weight and no one should be jumping to any conclusions or changing their opinions without hearing it. The amount of detail that Skater C publicly disclosed is unsettling but it’s because of people who hear what they want to believe from Haein and allow that to override the support that should be given to survivors. I doubt that he wanted to say all this publicly and just one day after Haein released her statement.
The prolonging of the trial/investigation and the private details Haein is divulging in a misguided attempt to save her doomed career and reputation is actively hurting a minor. Now that we know all this, please give more thought to the words you put out on the internet and how quickly you react to what information. Respect what’s left of Skater C’s privacy.
The way this situation was handled (and keeps being handled) is really bad, for all parties involved.
Pulling C to this mess was totally and completely unnecessary and wrong. The handling of the matter should have been private, and all the federation had to say was that two skaters were being suspended, because of rule violations. There was no need to expand on what those violations were.
I just hope everybody involved gets through this, and nobody does anything they can't take back.
i wouldn’t be surprised if there was a history of coercion in this relationship given that it seems like she didn’t respect the boundary he made when he said he was done with her.
Obviously what Haein did deserves punishment, but this doesn’t seem exceptionally monstrous to me for teenagers who are in a space with very unclear boundaries. I think a measured response figure skating fans hoping the victim gets the support he needs while also acknowledging that this doesn’t mean we should wish death upon Haein or anything like that. If these teenagers weren’t public figures I think the response would be a lot different. Unfortunately fans love to speak in extremes.
She’s in the wrong. Exceptionally monstrous is an interesting statement. Something doesn’t have to be extremely horribly bad for it to be wrong. I’ve seen more people minimizing the situation than otherwise (at least on here). Even if the people involved were not famous, it’d still be wrong. I agree that it’s sad that they are so in the public eye especially the boy, I can’t imagine what he’s going through.
I’m not sure when you say “unclear” boundaries if you mean their age or their profession or both but if it’s the latter, it makes me sad that FS has that kind of environment. If it’s the former, yes boundaries are blurry and kids confused but one was significantly more mentally mature than the other so…
I was raised in a very similar environment in dance competitions. Your peers that you hang out with are often 2,3 even 4 years younger than you or older than you and usually no one sits you down and says hey you’re 18 now this person who may have been your closest friend that you hung out with constantly, last year well now that could be considered inappropriate. They should but they don’t and that’s why the boundaries are murky. Also children raised in these competitive environments are also often very socially stunted as adults with little good role models to guide them as to what is and isn’t appropriate as an adult. It doesn’t make their actions right but also isn’t necessarily the sigh of inherent moral corruption like so many want to claim. It took me until I was 24 to fully understand everything that was wrong with the situation I was in as a teenager.
I see. I’m sorry you had to go through that. Children shouldn’t have to grow up in situations like that. You’re absolutely correct that competitive environments are not healthy for children and for their development. It sucks that boundaries were never taught and it makes it that much easier for people to take advantage whether they’re aware or it or not.
Like you said, it’s a fucked up situation but it’s also important to acknowledge a wrong done. I don’t think a 19 year old and a 15 year old will ever be okay or healthy. And it’s important to acknowledge it as that so that this environments don’t stay the same. If this was hushed up or excused I think that would be for the detriment of the sport and for all the young people who train their lives for it.
Being downvoted for saying be careful not to wish death on a teenager is exactly proving my point on what an extremist frenzy fans have been whipped into
I haven’t seen anyone wishing death on her, so what’s the point of this whole speech? We know worse things could happen to people. This is still pretty bad, though, and hours after a sexual predator has posted a self-serving statement misrepresenting her relationship with her victim and sharing private messages without his permission is probably not the best time to whine that people are too mad at her.
I have on Twitter. And saying she deserves hell for the rest of her life isn’t much better. Do I think she deserves to be unbanned for the Olympics? No. But she’s 19 raised in an environment where the boundaries are murky, I just think people need to be more measured in their response and maybe not pull out the pitchforks and torches for this one.
I LITERALLY SAID THIS DESERVES PUNISHMENT AND HE DESERVES SUPPORT FIRST. I’m only saying it because literally no one else is thinking about this in anything but a black and white hero and villain narrative. This is real life not a movie where every teenage mistake is revealing the actions of a truly evil villain.
You “said this deserves punishment” as a prelude to your main point, which was that people on Twitter are being too mean to Lee Haein. I hope you realise people on Twitter are also being too mean to her victim. That’s what I care about.
You’re getting downvoted because firstly no one has wished death upon her so you’re just making things up and secondly you’re qualifying that what she did is not actually wrong by implying in different contexts it wouldn’t be.
I don’t think it wouldn’t be in different contexts I do think if these were teenagers we just knew in life people wouldn’t be foaming at the mouth to say oh I was right she’s a villain.
I don't think she is irredeemable or can't learn from this.
However, I do think this is absolutely not the time or the place to make her feelings and future your priority as a statement. Commenting on a post that is literally the victim's statement which was released like what, two hours ago, when it's clear he's in mental distress with "but what about her pain" isn't the right place nor the right time for that. That's why you're being downvoted.
I commented because his statement made it that much clearer to me that this was a situation whose root cause was the lack of boundaries in the sport. I have literally been the victim in a situation like this and I have more grace for my offender than people on social media who don’t know any of these people.
But this isn't your situation, and it isn't your call. I too have been in a similar situation and have similar feelings. This is not the place nor the time to express them.
Society does prioritize defending people they like over victims' feelings all the time. Now, of course the default reverse of demonizing has its own problems, but I still do think the victim's feelings should be prioritized and not coopted into "but what about the perpetrator's feelings?"
Make a post yourself for it to discuss this in a few days. Not here. Not now.
Right now is exactly the time to call for a measured response. As someone pointed out this is the time where suicide from either party is highly likely. Not only does this put Haein at risk but I’m sure C feels very conflicted about making a statement about someone they considered very close to them and seeing people internationally call her a monster is NOT going to help their mental health at all. I hope they’re being protected from the response but I don’t know.
I used to work in child protection and had a friend whom I had to turn in for molesting a disabled child (and admitted to it) commit suicide. Believe me, I know the risks and the costs. More directly than most.
You can encourage human dignity for all involved without prioritizing her feelings over C's.
I just wanted to let you know I agree with you. I am from an Asian country where suicide is very very very prevalent. I don’t think that hoping she doesn’t kill herself is a bad thing to do. But it seems perhaps we are in the minority…especially because in several online fs spaces I have seen people wishing harm for her.
Hoping that she doesn’t fucking kill herself doesn’t mean that anyone supports the victim any less. But that is the problem with online discussion of these issues. No nuance whatsoever. God forbid you hope that someone doesn’t try to off themself. Suddenly you’re no longer a feminist.
ETA: also, in your original comment, I don’t think you were prioritizing her feelings over his. Lolll.
That age gap is weird idc. That’s like your friends kid sibling weird…people make fun of you if you’re dating a freshman and you’re a senior. it’s really gross..poor kid.
This sub defending Haein simply because she said it was consensual when she was the one accused is so disturbing. What a unique claim for someone accused of something to say “I didn’t do it!”
I don't disagree with your sentiment but....
Kinda rich coming from someone who rather vigorously defended Sorenson when his rape accusations came out.
It’s not the same situation though. I believe Sorenson is a rapist. However, he cannot be banned without an investigation. Haein was sanctioned after an investigation, which is what makes the situation completely different.
Skate Canada should’ve been more prompt in their investigation into the allegations and it’s crazy to me that this many months later, he’s still continuing on as if this was a minor speed bump. But to act like the situations are exactly the same is inaccurate.
Also in this situation Haein is stating “we did those things but I didn’t harass him because he wanted it.”
I suspect the investigation with Skate Canada is taking so long because if there is evidence left at this point it’s going to be very minimal and they’re having to source it from across international jurisdictions. It was also a much longer time ago and as far as we know isn’t being investigated by police, only the organization, and so getting things approved for subpoenas for investigation for things like phone records or security footage (which probably doesn’t even exist at this point) in a different country for a case that can’t be litigated anymore in a criminal court is going to be much more difficult.
1) Haein admitted that they had a relationship and that they actually did do what C is calling harassment. There isn’t a question that the actions actually occurred.
2) KSU has physical/photographic evidence of wrongdoing and at least one witness and have concluded an investigation, which Skate Canada has not done yet.
Two things that make this different than the situation with Sorensen.
And as I’ve said in those other posts I’m not defending Sorensen, I’m defending his right to due process, in whatever capacity that might exist for him at this point. At no point in time did I say he didn’t do it, I said that we should reserve judgement until the investigation is concluded.
Hope this helps 🫶
I want to point out Haein just turned 19 the month before the camp. She's barely 19.
We don't have confirmation on who C is, so their age could be as high as 17.
A teenager gave another teenager, two high schoolers who used to date, a HICKEY at a sleepaway camp and it all became a huge, public, messy deal.
I'm sorry, this is not sexual assault. This is KSU cruelty to the young people and children involved.
Feel free to downvote. But let's use some goddamn adult common sense.
He didn’t know what a hickey was. You cannot consent to something if you don’t understand what it is. It caused him discomfort. That is the definition of sexual assault
I am not sure we know how strong the sex education programs are in Korea, or how exhaustive a sex ed lesson Skater C's parents gave him. I don't think I thought of teaching "hickeys" to my sons -- there were so many more important lessons (consent, respect for your partner, self respect, birth control, STDs) that I felt, as a parent, I needed to get across. We are assuming a great deal of information for a young busy athlete/student to have.
Did you read the text message that she posted? It seems to paint a different picture. He wasn’t uncomfortable about the act he was worried people would see the mark and find out about them. He even said in one of the messages that he asked her to do it. So who knows what to believe anymore but it seems there’s a lot more going on than we know about and everything isn’t so black and white.
I’ll link [you to what the victim said about the situation](https://x.com/seha_bk/status/1806333689497796953).
She posted a subset of their messages and it’s hard to know the context but leaving the room in discomfort implies he was not fully okay with it.
It’s a statement provided by a legal representative. They will say what they need to to protect their client and we don't know how much involvement the victim and/or the disapproving parents actually had in crafting this statement. The whole reason she posted the conversations was they directly contradict what was said in the lawyer’s statement. For example, it says he "left the dorm shocked and thrown off" which implies the act caused distress but reading the text messages it was the fact a visible mark that people could see was the issue since it would expose their "secret relationship". Also, the end says he's receiving treatment for "emotional shock" which leads people to think it was due to the alleged SA, but if you read it carefully, it seems the shock was from the stress from the news of the investigation not the actual act. So nothing actually says that the "victim" felt assaulted by the act or they were forced into it. This whole situation is a mess at this point.
I’m sorry, but following your logic, how do you consent to anything you haven’t done before? If i consented to sex and then didn’t like my first time, then what?
If you have no idea what sex is and someone asks you to have it, you cannot consent to it. It’s not that he had never had a hickey before, it’s that he did not know what it was. There’s a difference between doing something for your first time and not knowing what it is. If during sex you don’t like it, yes you can say I don’t like this and if the person continues, that’s not consent just because you said yes at the beginning.
Up voting you. The trauma to Skater C is that all his private information about his first romantic relationship is now out there in public! Poor kid. A 3 year ban seems extreme unless she was pressuring him in some way. (The rest, imho, we really cannot make a judgement about).
First of all, who wrote this statement? Skater C or Skater C’s coaching parents? Nobody knows for sure. Skater A mentioned that both parents rejected their relationship. If the statement wrote or revised by his parents, I won’t buy his side of story. Period. At the end of the day, nobody knows the real truth except the kids themselves. Being minor doesn’t mean he cannot or won’t tell lie. Don’t be that naive.
Your submission has been removed for violating Rule 4.
>4. Be civil in discussing skating figures.
> Blunt criticism of skaters, officials, and other skating figures is welcome, but please remember to be civil even when being critical. Excessive hostility, body shaming/eating disorder speculation, degrading commentary, name calling, and ill-wishing are not. "I don't think XYZ deserved that score and ABC should have won over them?" Fine. "XYZ is trash garbage and I hope they fall four times?" Not fine. We will hand out 3 day suspensions for the first and second offenses under this rule, with a permanent ban on the third offense.
HL SA'd a boy who is under the age of 18. YY took photos of it while it happened and showed it to both of them. HL and YY both were drinking at the time. HL got a 3 year ban from KSU and YY got a one year ban from KSU. The camp caption for a 3 month ban for letting all of this happen. The victim got a slap on the wrist for entering a girls dorm room.
YY never took photos of HL SAing a boy. She just took a regular photo of HL that's not sexual at all and didn't show the photo to the boy. At least that's what she insists.
https://m.sports.naver.com/general/article/001/0014774840
This affaire is reaching K drama level. Given the toxic competitive environment in South korea, i'm not surprised if some shady actions were behind the fed's decision
More like his control freak parents statement. Who're so much against their wonder boys relationship that he felt the need to hide it. So take the statement with a kimchi worthy grain of salt.
The poor boy kissed his girlfriend. How will he ever recover from that?
EVEN IF the complaint was driven by his parents (of which there is no proof other than the delusions of butthurt fans of his abuser)... so what? He's clearly not old enough to be in a relationship with an adult, to spend his nights drinking with adults, to exchange suggestive photos with them, to be pressured by his adult ex-girlfriend to continue a secret relationship he's not sure he wants, etc. The fallout of his first "breakup," which would have been negligible if his girlfriend was his own age, has apparently caused him acute emotional distress, it's interfered with his athletic development and it's probably stained his reputation, especially in Korea, for years to come. If I was his mother, I'd do more than file a complaint.
Just stop typing malicious nonsense and try to put yourself in the shoes of the victim for one second.
I feel incredibly bad for him. But from the statement I’m not getting the sense he was traumatized by the actual incident but rather all the stuff that came after.
He's 16 (obviously aware lol) and didn't have an issue with any of that UNTIL his stalker parents went through his phone and have since then been working overtime to "de-traumatize" their son (keep it up, you're doing great).
>He's 16
He's 15.
>didn't have an issue with any of that UNTIL his stalker parents went through his phone
> Lawyer Son Won-woo, the legal representative of junior A, said in a statement late at night, “The two players dated for about 3 months in 2023 and then broke up. In response to Lee Hae-in’s suggestion to meet again during training camp last month, A agreed to do so. “He said. He added, “The act in question took place on the day I visited Lee Hae-in’s room, and **A came out of the room immediately in a very embarrassed and surprised state**.”
No, you got that wrong. He's 15 in international age and 17 in Korean age. Haein is 19 in international age and 20 in Korean age.
While in the regular system you start from 0 at birth and become 1 year older every new birthday, in the Korean age system you are 1 year old at birth and become 1 year older every January 1st of the following calendar year.
So in practical terms, if you already celebrated your birthday this year, your Korean age is [your real age] + 1. If not, your Korean age is [your real age] + 2. You're never younger than your real age and you're always the same age as everyone who was born in the same calendar year as you.
Take this example: [[source](https://www.koreanclass101.com/korean-age/)]
> How old is Jungkook in Korea? His birthday is September 1, 1997.
In Korean age: He’s 28 years old from January 1st until December 31st, 2024.
In international age: He’s 26 years old until August 30th and 27 years old after September 1st, which is his birthday.
Korean age is never used in legal matters btw.
Your submission has been removed for violating Rule 4.
>4. Be civil in discussing skating figures.
> Blunt criticism of skaters, officials, and other skating figures is welcome, but please remember to be civil even when being critical. Excessive hostility, body shaming/eating disorder speculation, degrading commentary, name calling, and ill-wishing are not. "I don't think XYZ deserved that score and ABC should have won over them?" Fine. "XYZ is trash garbage and I hope they fall four times?" Not fine. We will hand out 3 day suspensions for the first and second offenses under this rule, with a permanent ban on the third offense.
This is the best translation i can give you guys (had some help with gpt) The national representative for women's figure skating, Lee Hae-in, has refuted allegations of sexual harassment of a minor teammate, claiming that it was an action that occurred between lovers. Meanwhile, the victim, skater C, has also expressed his stance. Today (the 27th), skater C, through his legal representative, released a press statement revealing that during training in Italy, Lee Hae-in left a so-called "hickey" on him. After this happened, C was startled and hurriedly left the room. At that time, Lee Hae-in asked skater C if he knew what a "hickey" was. C replied that her didn't really understand and suggested her to do it, but he was unaware of what a "hickey" actually was at the time. Regarding the claim of a romantic relationship, C admitted that Lee Hae-in had suggested meeting again during the training period, and the following day, C did agree to meet again. After returning from the training camp in Italy, C felt that continuing the relationship wasn't right and messaged Lee Hae-in, saying they should stop contacting each other. However, around June 14, Lee Hae-in suggested that they continue a secret relationship, and C accepted this proposal. On June 25, Lee Hae-in questioned skater C about the situation, attempting to gather evidence and manage the incident. Skater C claimed he came to fully understand the details of what had occurred through the process, which caused him substantial mental distress. C also conveyed that he is currently finding it difficult to train due to the psychological impact and have started psychiatric treatment.
I honestly thought this was a simple Romeo and Juliet age thing, but A seems to be really chasing and pressuring the minor C into a relationship, and C is ambivalent. which makes sense, considering that if they were really mutually in an ongoing relationship with each other, C would have spoken out immediately to defend A. But then A spoke first. Sounds like B is skater A’s wingman.
I empathize with these kids. It must be terrible having such an intimate part of their lives exposed. I don't feel like we have sufficient facts to draw conclusions about the age difference, or whether there was pressure on the younger skater, or any other aspects of this story. I just hope the young boy gets the help that he needs.
I mean I think it’s obvious there was pressure. He said he didn’t want to continue the relationship and she continued pressing on until he said yes.
Ah. Ok. I think I have a tenuous grasp of the facts, with all the translations. That sounds bad. And sad.
To be honest KSU and Korean media handled this very poorly. The details given made easy for fans to track down who are A, B and eventually the victim C. I feel so sorry for him. I hope he will recover from this traumatic incident. Wishing him the best.
Google translate but the closing statement is important here: “In addition, player C said that he is currently in a difficult situation to train due to mental shock and has started psychiatric treatment.” I hope people will remember this before they comment thoughtlessly on these threads - remember that regardless of the details there’s a child at the centre of this.
Well this is just heartbreaking....
Truly, I feel so sad for him. His youth and confusion really come across in this statement, and I can’t imagine having to process a situation like this so publicly at such a young age. It makes complete sense that he’s not in the right state of mind to train right now.
Heavy emphasis on the age of the victim. No one, especially a fifteen year old, should go through this.
I don’t think you should spread a google translation of a context dependent language like Korean.
It’s clear from multiple translations that this sentence states the minor is receiving treatment for the psychological impact of the situation. I don’t know why you’re implying that this is misinformation or a mistranslation when it is not. My comment literally just says that there is a child at the centre of this situation and so people should take care not to comment on it thoughtlessly; there is absolutely no legitimate reason for you - or anyone - to take issue with that.
This whole thing is just so wild to me, absolutely not what I expected in this offseason.
We’ve had five or six consecutive seasons of ‘holy fuck’ from Russia; it was someone else’s turn.
Such a messy situation! This should have been handled privately. I think Haein is in major denial stage and just trying to fix things but ironically making it so much worse for herself. I just hope that they both don't do something crazy like suicide which is a huge issue in Korea.
This is a huge concern of mine. I really am horrified at how they have handled this. It's really sad all around. I'm kind of horrified for everyone involved. There was a better way to deal with this since all parties here are extremely young.
Iirc Korea has one of the highest suicide rates of any country and I also hope everyone gets the mental health support they need in this situation.
I hope everyone gets the support they need. Your final line makes me so worried.
totally agree. Messy and dangerous.
I’m worried about your last line too, suicide is a huge problem in many countries in Asia (including mine) and we see it often. And with the things I’m seeing on here and Twitter, I would be worried for her. People from all over the world are wishing her dead and calling her a rapist and abuser and pedophile for giving her boyfriend at the time a hickey. If people called me a pedophile for being in what amounts to essentially a high school senior-freshman relationship I would kill myself for sure. Of course she showed some VERY poor judgment and this should have never happened, but personally I hope she stays safe. I see many people wishing the opposite on her. ETA: obv concerned for C too, but they seem to be receiving a lot of support in online spaces. Abysmal handling of the situation by the fed though
Obviously no one should have to come to the point of becoming suicidal because of this but at the same time, she brought this onto herself and justice should come before and above the perpetrator’s feelings. In all the available translations it does sound like she was pursuing/pressuring the relationship even when the minor tried to end it and now she’s publishing private messages without the minor’s consent.
He didn’t know what a hickey was? So he’s a kid, then. However bad what happened at the camp was, what transpired after looks equally if not worse. She basically knew the relationship looked bad and then tried to gather evidence to dispute her guilt.
I've tried Google Translate and I'm so confused. Hopefully someone can kindly translate and I misunderstood about C seeking psychiatric treatment because of the whole thing. What a nightmare.
I think it’s good that C is seeking psychiatric treatment, this is a very stressful situation playing out on a national (and international) level and I hope that will help him feel supported.
Oh definitely. Just sad that it's come to that but he definitely needs all the support he can have now. Hope he's surrounded with his family and friends and is getting the comfort he needs.
Yes absolutely it’s a sad situation that it’s come to this. I hope he also feels supported by his familial and wider social circle like you said.
A brief summary can be found [here](https://twitter.com/mavhanna/status/1806322390089056369?t=7wVMwwKTmWPcbmF0O88Tbg&s=19). I'll link a full translation if I find one.
Having to explain to your minor victim what a hickey is really emphasizes how inappropriate the age gap was
I guess I just went to highschool in a different time, way before social media. This is how most people found out about things. Usually from a partner or friend telling about an experience with their partner. Maybe if you're lucky you would learn about it through TV first. There were no textbooks or guides for these things.
Agree 100%. It makes me feel old to hear that people think a conversation about a hickey is abuse. A conversation with a romatic partner about a hickey sounds like a consent conversation to me. Is a 3 year age gap is abuse? That really depends on the people, but it is only abuse in my mind if one of the parties is a child. If there was a major power difference, sure, then it is abuse, but I wouldn't think so in this case. (I think young teenage ice skaters might be too busy with practice and studying to worry about googling terms like "hickey". They would probaboy learn about such a thing from a romantic partner).
I think I learned about it from Grease... If not the musical then some TV show. I'm pretty dubious that a 15yo would be this innocent. Not impossible but it's just.... Really different from how I was raised (and my first kiss was age 19).
Wait, but I was assured by multiple people on here that this is “normal”?
Ugh, that was annoying me so much. It completely negates the fact that just people something is normal or culturally acceptable doesn’t mean I have to personally think it’s acceptable! Brain development doesn’t magically change because you’re from a different country and there’s a huge developmental difference between their ages.
On the two other threads the most upvoted comments are saying exactly this and I quote there are bigger age gaps in figure skating and the cherry on top, “they were in a relationship.”
I think what is normal is sexual exploration and learning what these things are in an equitable, fun, supportive setting . The challenge is the difference in power (age, gender, etc) in this dynamic and whether he knew or understood what he was consenting to, and therefore if he was mature enough to consent at all.
The challenge is the difference in...gender...? I am confused, is this worse because they are of different gender? Do we think if two boys were in the same situation it would not have been considered abuse?
Great question! I was speaking to how difficult it is for folks to make sense and come to terms with the many complicated layers, and that gender is a layer here. Society at large, I’d argue, finds it hard to believe men can be sexually assaulted by women, let alone that men can be victims. Which makes it harder for most folks to come to a concrete belief about right and wrong here. The challenge is that we should aim to detangle any subconscious feelings we have about gender/sexuality from the facts of the case.
I didn't know what a hickey was until I was 19
Coincidentally that’s how old the sexual predator we’re discussing is.
Is there more than one post? Twitter doesn’t let non-registered users view the post chain
Full tweet thread: *"C has made a statement through his legal representative, about the events* *Haein left a kiss mark (hickey) during the camp, she initiated asking him if he knew what it was, while he did not know at the time* *theyve met again during the camp (as hn stated in her post) and C later sent her a text asking her to stop contacting him/to stop seeing each other as he thought it was not right to continue* *on june 14th she sent a text to see each other again and he accepted* *then later on june 25th during the investigation she contacted him about it* *the investigation and evidence collection\] and C states he was mentally shocked at this time* *he currently is in a difficult mental situation and has started psychiatric treatment due to the trauma \[shock\]* *difficult mental situation -> difficulty to train* *im unsure of what is implied or not in english but psychiatric treatment isn’t necessarily medicaments, it can be therapy"*
The fact he didn't know what a hickey was really is sadly eye opening. As much as it must have been hard for her, she should have stopped the relationship the minute he decided it shouldn't continue.
Yeah a lot of people on the thread about her response were saying that an age gap of 3.5 years isn't a really big deal but when the difference in emotional maturity (ie not knowing what a hickey is) is this much then it's incredibly inappropriate (and gives her a lot of power over him).
3.5 is no big deal when all parties are fully developed adults but as teenagers? That’s a huge difference! That’s 14 versus 17 or stretching that 14.5 and 18! Just no.
Right? Really emphasizes that he's a child... This does not look good for Haein at all.
sounds like she said it was inappropriate on her part and that they both strongly expressed an interest in keeping the relationship going even after the incident. She obviously fucked up but if it wasn't for Korea's shitty misogynistic and conservative culture the punishment here would not be close to 3 years
Yes judging from his statement skater C wasn’t traumatized by the actual incident but by getting into trouble and the whole media storm that followed.
idgaf if they got in a relationship when they were both minors. how the hell are you 19 and coming on to someone who doesn’t even understand the concept of a hickey???
Yep, if there is more than a two year age difference between children it is still considered statutory in the states.
And it’s still kinda weird at that age too. I get them being in the same sport level or environment might change things but I don’t recall many seniors going after juniors in my high school (and by “many” I mean “any”) and with Koreans being so particular about age hierarchies I don’t think they ever saw each other as equals.
A very rough initial Google translate gives me the impression that C had conflicted feelings about resuming the relationship at the camp (which, understandable for a first relationship when you are younger). Which should've been the massive hint to not push things further for more intimacy. A responsibility of the older party. I'm gonna keep an eye out on Twitter for more translation sources and correct my statement above if needed. 1. https://x.com/seha_bk/status/1806333689497796953 ^(also I've been deeply WTF-ing over the thought of looking at someone 3yrs younger than me during my teens and thinking that's a romantic interest. Like, no. That's someone to be platonic friends with, maybe to buddy/mentor)
In that translation it says that Haein asked if he knew what a hickey was and he said no but that she could try it if she wanted. A casual reminder to people that you can't consent to something if you don't know what it is so him saying she could try it does not constitute as consent on his part. (And given that he left the room shocked and uncomfortable it sounds like he wouldn't have consented if he had known what it was).
Did I just go to a weird high school? There were lots of freshman/senior relationships, some of whom are now married w kids 👀
Tbh, probably some fuzziness depending on... circumstances? cultural contexts? (my community generally frowns upon relationships when younger than college age). Main point here would probably be skater C's feeling about the situation, rather than the age gap necessarily.
No, it’s the same for my area. 3 years age difference can also be in the same grade so like…
Same, relationships between freshmen-seniors are weird, but they’re cliche for a reason - because they happen. Often. I think the situation is not so black and white as some would like to make it out to be. Of course C is a victim, he didn’t even know what a hickey was. But I do not think A is a malicious rapist pedophile abuser like so many here are proclaiming. It is not unusual for these sorts of age gap relationships to happen.
Yeah. The circumstances seem very messy especially in the reporting.
Wasn't alcohol a factor as well? Skater A made things extremely difficult for herself.
Bring my post from the other thread, edited now since Athlete C has spoken out: One thing I haven’t seen people discuss is the power dynamics cause by Haien Lee being a bigger, more respected figure skater internationally than presumably Athlete C is, and maybe even nationally too. So, now we know that there was a relationship with Athlete C and a person who, in spite also being a minor, was significantly older(in my experience teaching between 14 and 18 year olds, although both are immature, 14 year olds are generally much more so) and more respected in their joint field. Those power dynamics make the former relationships really uncomfortable for me. The thing I’m stuck on, however, is that many of the former reports discuss the content as causing discomfort for Athlete C, which would make the actions illegal even if Athlete C was of age. I really wanted to believe Haien, but “It wasn’t assault, it was consensual” is a common excuse for people who are accused of what she’s accused of, and she has the benefit of getting her story out to her multitude of fans while Athlete C's own statement won't be as widespread due to his age/status as the victim/anonymity/relative lack of fame.
Man, I don't envy kids growing up in social media days. I don't know what happened there, but it's obvious that these 2 are navigating adolescence/boundaries and what it entails, and have been thrown into the lion's den by the federation.
Lee choosing to publishe those messages right after this statement came out is such disgusting behavior. Definitely didn't get permission.
Oh yeah, I was wondering what prompted the posts.
Absolutely vile what she’s doing. Hope she gets maximum consequences and C gets the healing he needs.
C probably has a lot of sources of pain and trauma. Such as that he was manipulated by an adult while he was a child. But also that someone he clearly cares (or cared) about as a person is now banned for three years because of an incident involving him, that I don't think he actually intended to happen? From my understanding he didn't even report it as a sexual harassment case, rather it came up in the investigation? Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm hoping that C gets the support he needs as well.
I read Vitamin C 😭
Me too 💀
Girl same that is why I even clicked
The poor boy😭 I haven't commented on any of this yet (mostly still in shock) but dear god. This is so disgusting, I hope he receives the support he needs and no one leaks his name to the media.
Okay, so now that it's clear what happened wasn't a happy informed consensual encounter that's only problematic because of an age difference, can people stop victim blaming this poor kid? He was in way over his head, LHI took advantage of him not knowing even what a hickey is, and is now relying on presumptions of "but we were dating" and him being the guy to make herself look better. He feels like he was assaulted and made a complaint, and good for him.
It's not that simple. She asked him if it was okay and he said yes. Then afterwards he felt uncomfortable most likely because he was afraid of getting caught. She even acknowledged that it was her fault and he made it clear he wanted to stay in a relationship but just not see each other during camp anymore. He didn't report her, the details came out in the investigation.
Do I think she's a sadistic pedo out prowling for her next victim? I do not. Do I think she can learn? Yes. Do I think she did anything criminal? Nope. Do I think she did something ethically wrong? Yes. Do I think her sharing those photos exonerates her? Not remotely. I think it makes her look worse, actually, because it's throwing the minor under the bus. Even so I think it's immaturity rather than malice, using a minor to prop up your own wellbeing is literally what you're accused of, stop. Say "we were in a relationship, I'm sorry, I will reflect and mature." Save the screenshots for the retrial. The idea of someone saying they don't want to lose the person who hurt them is hardly proof that nothing harmful was done; in fact, that's extremely common in outright abusive relationships, even. "most likely because he was afraid of getting caught" is also "blame the victim" 101. Can you like not? Do I think she that the federation is acting responsibly here? Yes, I actually do. They should have 0 tolerance for stepping over these kinds of boundaries and it's better to have too many than too little (the effects of "too little" we can see everywhere in the sport).
I disagree that the federation is acting responsibly though. This should have been private. These kids are both traumatized due to the way this was handled. It's not about the punishment which could be fair, but about how this is completely public. I really hope nothing worse happens due to this but I am worried. Obviously she shouldn't have posted those screenshots but she's probably feeling desperate and not thinking rationally. This was made so much worse for both of the due to the way it was handled. And however skater C was feeling about the actual thing that happened, having it public like this made it 100 times worse for him too.
I don't disagree on that! Most federations turn a blind eye when this happens is what I meant, and I think that has proven historically to be a disaster and enabled further abuse. But, do really think it would have been possible to keep this private if two top female skaters suddenly were suspended without this specific cause named, because that is actually what first happened and then people were outraged. Let's say they buckle up and stay mum about it and they don't release any reasoning--that can also lead to issues because a Fed not having any accountability on suspensions is ripe for misuse. If they do release it, then you have this. The only way victims are protected is if people have good reason to trust an institution. But that's just not the case pretty much anywhere, and the people who suffer are the most vulnerable.
I think once all investigations are complete and punishments doled out then they can release a statement about the situation along with the names of the adults. The way this played out is terrible and they should have done a better job to protect the identity of the minor. The public does not need to know all the details especially when it is still an ongoing investigation.
I don’t think that they did release it though. Haein is truly the one responsible since she confirmed who C was, that they were in a relationship, etc. Without her confirmation it could’ve been anyone. I think people could’ve speculated or found it highly probable or something but it wouldn’t have been a sure thing and would’ve helped protect him.
it's very clear that after the incident he still wanted to confirm they were dating and Haein said yes we are. I didn't know what a hickey is till I was 19. It's irrelevant. It's also still not clear if skater C reported it himself? Or rather if it came out during the drinking investigation? He is a victim, but that doesn't make her a malicious abuser and that doesn't mean a three year ban is appropriate. Conservative country with a misogynistic culture should indeed be criticized just as much as Haein because in America there would be something called a Romeo and Juliet law about this situation.
She's not facing 3 years in jail. This isn't criminal behavior, it's just unethical. R+J laws are about criminality, which this is not, and even if we were to look at it hypothetically if they covered this (which they don't because it's not that level) they actually would probably not cover this situation because: 1) he didn't want it, and 2) Korea actually has these laws and this falls outside of it. Granted, just outside of it, but outside of it nonetheless. I used to work in child protection. None of y'all know what you're talking about.
After reading this, Haein should be ashamed of herself and I think a suspension should be enforced. You can clearly tell the power imbalance in the relationship from this statement. I hope he is doing okay and has his family around to support him.
Yep, totally selfish for Haein to be speaking so much about her Olympic dreams whilst this young boy is receiving psychiatric treatment and has qualified for it as a result of her behaviour to him. Disgusting lack of care, really makes you wonder about this ‘relationship’ if you can call it that. It doesn’t sound like she cares about this boy at all, very suspicious and she’s also putting private texts on her social media to win the court of public opinion- no concern for his safety or privacy. Shameless behaviour. I hope her victim can recover from this I have also seen comments from her defenders trying to normalise relations between a younger teen and an older one ‘it was normal back when I was in school!’ honey, I hate to tell you this…
This is such a roller coaster. First it’s man that’s kinda harsh, to oh no she actually needs to arrested, then to huh maybe not that bad, and now back to nope it’s definitely still very bad.
If you for one second believed the words of an abuser without any corroboration from the victim, reflect on yourself.
Um if this is directed at me, chill. I was just pointing out the overall reaction over the past week or so. I don’t speak Korean, so all I can base everything on is those that can and the general sentiment going on in the threads.
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My heart goes out to him and I’m so sad and angry that this controversy has played out in the worst way possible; he shouldn’t have had to defend or explain himself. This is on KSU for publishing too much information about this incident in their initial press releases and allowing fans to identify the victim, and on Lee for further violating his privacy in her pathetic public statement. She should have been suspended quietly with minimal information given to the public and a strong warning to respect the privacy of all involved. We never should have learned any of this information. I also want to say that the way this subreddit rushed to her defence after she put out a statement framing their relationship as consensual was incredibly gross. The moment a 19-year-old investigated and sanctioned for sexually harassing a 15-year-old said, “Actually he was my boyfriend and totally cool with it,” you guys went, “Actually he was her boyfriend and totally cool with it!” I hope you have all learned a lesson here and will side with the victim the next time this happens, even if the victim is male. Because we all know the reaction on here would have been very different if their genders were flipped.
This. I really can't believe how quick people were to fully back her side of the story. What she said is bar for bar the standard playbook when accused of sexual harrassment. What else was she going to say?(I mean she could have fully owned up to it and apologized profusely and accepted the ban but, well, that was always unlikely.)
You are so right about this. Line for freaking line. Like all morals went out the window when she said they were in a relationship… upsetting to say the least.
It feels nice and good to perpetuate rape culture when you can claim it’s in the name of feminism while making sweeping generalisations about Korean society, I guess.
Exactly. It felt weird how “Korean culture” was being used to somehow make it all okay or justifiable.
Which is even weirder since it was the KOREAN Skating Union that issued the three-year ban in the first, so clearly these actions aren't broadly acceptable there.
That's when you flip the script and say Korean society is so misogynistic it only punishes women, therefore she did nothing wrong.
And the funniest part is that the most basic aspect of Korean culture is utter deference to age, even if it’s just one year, and especially if they’re of school age. Even if relationships between older women and younger men do happen, she will always be the Noona. There’s absolutely no way he eve saw himself as her equal at any point of their relationship.
I was worried that fans were going to force C to corroborate Haein’s statement to protect her but I’m glad he at least got to share his side of the story. Doesn’t change how awful the situation was, unfortunately.
Yeah KSU messed up. It should never have gotten to this point. They should have just left it as a disciplinary incident and not even mentioned C. The way they worded it left it open for so much speculation.
Right? Like why was everyone excusing her behavior yesterday? Guess some people have zero clue about manipulation tactics.
The whole "We all know Korea treats female sex offenders worse than male sex offenders" was a hilariously awful take as well
And even if they punish women harsher than men (not in SA cases but in general) it doesn’t make it okay in the least.
The self-satisfied white feminism of it all was nauseating.
I think the real issue is that people were simply fans of her skating. Everyone is always quick to play the ally until it’s one of their faves.
Well, yeah, there's the fact women's skating is way more popular on this subreddit than junior men's skating, so she has more fans than her victim. I totally agree that's the root cause of the disgraceful displays here. But people tried to dress up their personal bias as a feminist position and in the process perpetuated (and made up) harmful stereotypes about Korean society. Even more disgusting was the eagerness with which some of them rushed to deny and downplay the harm done to her victim, which I attribute to his gender because I'm almost certain they wouldn't have acted like that if the younger, more vulnerable party was a girl. Feminism is about identifying and redressing the systemic harms caused by patriarchy, and sexual exploitation in all its forms, but especially exploitation enabled by power differentials due to age and status, is chief among them. People who think it's more feminist to side with a female predator than her underage male victim disgust me.
Oh my god… poor kid. The statement makes it pretty obvious that she seemed to be pursuing this arrangement pretty strongly, he didn’t know what was going on and shows a pretty clear image of non-consent. I just hope he is now in an environment where people are sensitive to his needs and condition.
If the kid didn’t even know what a hickey was HE WAS NOT OLD ENOUGH. PERIOD. WHY ARE PPL DEFENDING THIS???? HE IS A VICTIM.
Because Haien Lee is pretty and let's be real because she's a woman. If genders were reversed I doubt there would be people defending and excusing a 19 year old male who interacted this way with a 15 year old female.
can’t imagine what he’s going through right now. really hope he’s okay 💜
Not trying to defend skater A, how she and KSU handled the situation left no privacy for the minor involved. I hope skater C receives support, especially given Korea's recent history of mental health issues among youth. But now that we know details which we really shouldn't be privy to, there's some nuance to this. It sounds like teenagers poorly navigating boundaries and sexuality, while being public figures. Isn't it common for most people to learn what a hickey was when they first received one? Not exactly something that's taught in health class, but happens at many a high school freshman house party. Just horrific for this situation to be blown up on national news, can't imagine how this impacts a teenager's relationships and feelings about intimacy moving forward. Truly feel awful for the poor kid caught up in this mess.
Regarding the Fed: how much can they actually 'conceal' what happened? After they suspend the athletes questions are going to arise and they couldn't exactly just say "drinking booze" - that wouldn't be believed given both the length of suspensions and the difference in length of the suspensions between the 2 athletes.
Maybe they could release the suspension news after all three skaters inevitably request retrials, given the severity of the situation. KSU handled the entire situation poorly in my opinion, not enough care given to the teenage athletes and one 20 year old (skater B) who's story seems even more unclear.
Everyone who read Haein’s statements and immediately for some reason went on about the age difference not being That Bad (???) and that this must’ve been a misunderstanding/technicality should feel ashamed. The victim’s statement is the one that should hold the most weight and no one should be jumping to any conclusions or changing their opinions without hearing it. The amount of detail that Skater C publicly disclosed is unsettling but it’s because of people who hear what they want to believe from Haein and allow that to override the support that should be given to survivors. I doubt that he wanted to say all this publicly and just one day after Haein released her statement. The prolonging of the trial/investigation and the private details Haein is divulging in a misguided attempt to save her doomed career and reputation is actively hurting a minor. Now that we know all this, please give more thought to the words you put out on the internet and how quickly you react to what information. Respect what’s left of Skater C’s privacy.
The way this situation was handled (and keeps being handled) is really bad, for all parties involved. Pulling C to this mess was totally and completely unnecessary and wrong. The handling of the matter should have been private, and all the federation had to say was that two skaters were being suspended, because of rule violations. There was no need to expand on what those violations were. I just hope everybody involved gets through this, and nobody does anything they can't take back.
i wouldn’t be surprised if there was a history of coercion in this relationship given that it seems like she didn’t respect the boundary he made when he said he was done with her.
Oh my god that poor kid….
Obviously what Haein did deserves punishment, but this doesn’t seem exceptionally monstrous to me for teenagers who are in a space with very unclear boundaries. I think a measured response figure skating fans hoping the victim gets the support he needs while also acknowledging that this doesn’t mean we should wish death upon Haein or anything like that. If these teenagers weren’t public figures I think the response would be a lot different. Unfortunately fans love to speak in extremes.
She’s in the wrong. Exceptionally monstrous is an interesting statement. Something doesn’t have to be extremely horribly bad for it to be wrong. I’ve seen more people minimizing the situation than otherwise (at least on here). Even if the people involved were not famous, it’d still be wrong. I agree that it’s sad that they are so in the public eye especially the boy, I can’t imagine what he’s going through. I’m not sure when you say “unclear” boundaries if you mean their age or their profession or both but if it’s the latter, it makes me sad that FS has that kind of environment. If it’s the former, yes boundaries are blurry and kids confused but one was significantly more mentally mature than the other so…
I was raised in a very similar environment in dance competitions. Your peers that you hang out with are often 2,3 even 4 years younger than you or older than you and usually no one sits you down and says hey you’re 18 now this person who may have been your closest friend that you hung out with constantly, last year well now that could be considered inappropriate. They should but they don’t and that’s why the boundaries are murky. Also children raised in these competitive environments are also often very socially stunted as adults with little good role models to guide them as to what is and isn’t appropriate as an adult. It doesn’t make their actions right but also isn’t necessarily the sigh of inherent moral corruption like so many want to claim. It took me until I was 24 to fully understand everything that was wrong with the situation I was in as a teenager.
I see. I’m sorry you had to go through that. Children shouldn’t have to grow up in situations like that. You’re absolutely correct that competitive environments are not healthy for children and for their development. It sucks that boundaries were never taught and it makes it that much easier for people to take advantage whether they’re aware or it or not. Like you said, it’s a fucked up situation but it’s also important to acknowledge a wrong done. I don’t think a 19 year old and a 15 year old will ever be okay or healthy. And it’s important to acknowledge it as that so that this environments don’t stay the same. If this was hushed up or excused I think that would be for the detriment of the sport and for all the young people who train their lives for it.
Being downvoted for saying be careful not to wish death on a teenager is exactly proving my point on what an extremist frenzy fans have been whipped into
I haven’t seen anyone wishing death on her, so what’s the point of this whole speech? We know worse things could happen to people. This is still pretty bad, though, and hours after a sexual predator has posted a self-serving statement misrepresenting her relationship with her victim and sharing private messages without his permission is probably not the best time to whine that people are too mad at her.
I have on Twitter. And saying she deserves hell for the rest of her life isn’t much better. Do I think she deserves to be unbanned for the Olympics? No. But she’s 19 raised in an environment where the boundaries are murky, I just think people need to be more measured in their response and maybe not pull out the pitchforks and torches for this one.
This should not be your first priority when commenting on this story.
I LITERALLY SAID THIS DESERVES PUNISHMENT AND HE DESERVES SUPPORT FIRST. I’m only saying it because literally no one else is thinking about this in anything but a black and white hero and villain narrative. This is real life not a movie where every teenage mistake is revealing the actions of a truly evil villain.
You “said this deserves punishment” as a prelude to your main point, which was that people on Twitter are being too mean to Lee Haein. I hope you realise people on Twitter are also being too mean to her victim. That’s what I care about.
You’re getting downvoted because firstly no one has wished death upon her so you’re just making things up and secondly you’re qualifying that what she did is not actually wrong by implying in different contexts it wouldn’t be.
People on twitter are much nastier than they are here.
I don’t think it wouldn’t be in different contexts I do think if these were teenagers we just knew in life people wouldn’t be foaming at the mouth to say oh I was right she’s a villain.
Well that’s because a 15 yo and a 25 yo for example are at two completely different stages developmentally. Kid didn’t even know what a hickey was!!!
I don't think she is irredeemable or can't learn from this. However, I do think this is absolutely not the time or the place to make her feelings and future your priority as a statement. Commenting on a post that is literally the victim's statement which was released like what, two hours ago, when it's clear he's in mental distress with "but what about her pain" isn't the right place nor the right time for that. That's why you're being downvoted.
I commented because his statement made it that much clearer to me that this was a situation whose root cause was the lack of boundaries in the sport. I have literally been the victim in a situation like this and I have more grace for my offender than people on social media who don’t know any of these people.
But this isn't your situation, and it isn't your call. I too have been in a similar situation and have similar feelings. This is not the place nor the time to express them. Society does prioritize defending people they like over victims' feelings all the time. Now, of course the default reverse of demonizing has its own problems, but I still do think the victim's feelings should be prioritized and not coopted into "but what about the perpetrator's feelings?" Make a post yourself for it to discuss this in a few days. Not here. Not now.
Right now is exactly the time to call for a measured response. As someone pointed out this is the time where suicide from either party is highly likely. Not only does this put Haein at risk but I’m sure C feels very conflicted about making a statement about someone they considered very close to them and seeing people internationally call her a monster is NOT going to help their mental health at all. I hope they’re being protected from the response but I don’t know.
I used to work in child protection and had a friend whom I had to turn in for molesting a disabled child (and admitted to it) commit suicide. Believe me, I know the risks and the costs. More directly than most. You can encourage human dignity for all involved without prioritizing her feelings over C's.
I just wanted to let you know I agree with you. I am from an Asian country where suicide is very very very prevalent. I don’t think that hoping she doesn’t kill herself is a bad thing to do. But it seems perhaps we are in the minority…especially because in several online fs spaces I have seen people wishing harm for her. Hoping that she doesn’t fucking kill herself doesn’t mean that anyone supports the victim any less. But that is the problem with online discussion of these issues. No nuance whatsoever. God forbid you hope that someone doesn’t try to off themself. Suddenly you’re no longer a feminist. ETA: also, in your original comment, I don’t think you were prioritizing her feelings over his. Lolll.
Oh wow. This took a dark turn.
That age gap is weird idc. That’s like your friends kid sibling weird…people make fun of you if you’re dating a freshman and you’re a senior. it’s really gross..poor kid.
This sub defending Haein simply because she said it was consensual when she was the one accused is so disturbing. What a unique claim for someone accused of something to say “I didn’t do it!”
I don't disagree with your sentiment but.... Kinda rich coming from someone who rather vigorously defended Sorenson when his rape accusations came out.
It’s not the same situation though. I believe Sorenson is a rapist. However, he cannot be banned without an investigation. Haein was sanctioned after an investigation, which is what makes the situation completely different. Skate Canada should’ve been more prompt in their investigation into the allegations and it’s crazy to me that this many months later, he’s still continuing on as if this was a minor speed bump. But to act like the situations are exactly the same is inaccurate.
Also in this situation Haein is stating “we did those things but I didn’t harass him because he wanted it.” I suspect the investigation with Skate Canada is taking so long because if there is evidence left at this point it’s going to be very minimal and they’re having to source it from across international jurisdictions. It was also a much longer time ago and as far as we know isn’t being investigated by police, only the organization, and so getting things approved for subpoenas for investigation for things like phone records or security footage (which probably doesn’t even exist at this point) in a different country for a case that can’t be litigated anymore in a criminal court is going to be much more difficult.
1) Haein admitted that they had a relationship and that they actually did do what C is calling harassment. There isn’t a question that the actions actually occurred. 2) KSU has physical/photographic evidence of wrongdoing and at least one witness and have concluded an investigation, which Skate Canada has not done yet. Two things that make this different than the situation with Sorensen. And as I’ve said in those other posts I’m not defending Sorensen, I’m defending his right to due process, in whatever capacity that might exist for him at this point. At no point in time did I say he didn’t do it, I said that we should reserve judgement until the investigation is concluded. Hope this helps 🫶
I want to point out Haein just turned 19 the month before the camp. She's barely 19. We don't have confirmation on who C is, so their age could be as high as 17. A teenager gave another teenager, two high schoolers who used to date, a HICKEY at a sleepaway camp and it all became a huge, public, messy deal. I'm sorry, this is not sexual assault. This is KSU cruelty to the young people and children involved. Feel free to downvote. But let's use some goddamn adult common sense.
Sorry to burst your bubble but C is 15
He didn’t know what a hickey was. You cannot consent to something if you don’t understand what it is. It caused him discomfort. That is the definition of sexual assault
I am not sure we know how strong the sex education programs are in Korea, or how exhaustive a sex ed lesson Skater C's parents gave him. I don't think I thought of teaching "hickeys" to my sons -- there were so many more important lessons (consent, respect for your partner, self respect, birth control, STDs) that I felt, as a parent, I needed to get across. We are assuming a great deal of information for a young busy athlete/student to have.
But it doesn’t negate the fact you cannot consent to something if you don’t know what it is and that he was uncomfortable once it was done.
Did you read the text message that she posted? It seems to paint a different picture. He wasn’t uncomfortable about the act he was worried people would see the mark and find out about them. He even said in one of the messages that he asked her to do it. So who knows what to believe anymore but it seems there’s a lot more going on than we know about and everything isn’t so black and white.
I’ll link [you to what the victim said about the situation](https://x.com/seha_bk/status/1806333689497796953). She posted a subset of their messages and it’s hard to know the context but leaving the room in discomfort implies he was not fully okay with it.
It’s a statement provided by a legal representative. They will say what they need to to protect their client and we don't know how much involvement the victim and/or the disapproving parents actually had in crafting this statement. The whole reason she posted the conversations was they directly contradict what was said in the lawyer’s statement. For example, it says he "left the dorm shocked and thrown off" which implies the act caused distress but reading the text messages it was the fact a visible mark that people could see was the issue since it would expose their "secret relationship". Also, the end says he's receiving treatment for "emotional shock" which leads people to think it was due to the alleged SA, but if you read it carefully, it seems the shock was from the stress from the news of the investigation not the actual act. So nothing actually says that the "victim" felt assaulted by the act or they were forced into it. This whole situation is a mess at this point.
I’m sorry, but following your logic, how do you consent to anything you haven’t done before? If i consented to sex and then didn’t like my first time, then what?
If you have no idea what sex is and someone asks you to have it, you cannot consent to it. It’s not that he had never had a hickey before, it’s that he did not know what it was. There’s a difference between doing something for your first time and not knowing what it is. If during sex you don’t like it, yes you can say I don’t like this and if the person continues, that’s not consent just because you said yes at the beginning.
Up voting you. The trauma to Skater C is that all his private information about his first romantic relationship is now out there in public! Poor kid. A 3 year ban seems extreme unless she was pressuring him in some way. (The rest, imho, we really cannot make a judgement about).
First of all, who wrote this statement? Skater C or Skater C’s coaching parents? Nobody knows for sure. Skater A mentioned that both parents rejected their relationship. If the statement wrote or revised by his parents, I won’t buy his side of story. Period. At the end of the day, nobody knows the real truth except the kids themselves. Being minor doesn’t mean he cannot or won’t tell lie. Don’t be that naive.
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Your submission has been removed for violating Rule 4. >4. Be civil in discussing skating figures. > Blunt criticism of skaters, officials, and other skating figures is welcome, but please remember to be civil even when being critical. Excessive hostility, body shaming/eating disorder speculation, degrading commentary, name calling, and ill-wishing are not. "I don't think XYZ deserved that score and ABC should have won over them?" Fine. "XYZ is trash garbage and I hope they fall four times?" Not fine. We will hand out 3 day suspensions for the first and second offenses under this rule, with a permanent ban on the third offense.
Well, KSU really FUMBLED with this. Condolences to skater C😔
What happened? Ik they got suspended for drinking
HL SA'd a boy who is under the age of 18. YY took photos of it while it happened and showed it to both of them. HL and YY both were drinking at the time. HL got a 3 year ban from KSU and YY got a one year ban from KSU. The camp caption for a 3 month ban for letting all of this happen. The victim got a slap on the wrist for entering a girls dorm room.
YY never took photos of HL SAing a boy. She just took a regular photo of HL that's not sexual at all and didn't show the photo to the boy. At least that's what she insists. https://m.sports.naver.com/general/article/001/0014774840
This affaire is reaching K drama level. Given the toxic competitive environment in South korea, i'm not surprised if some shady actions were behind the fed's decision
More like his control freak parents statement. Who're so much against their wonder boys relationship that he felt the need to hide it. So take the statement with a kimchi worthy grain of salt. The poor boy kissed his girlfriend. How will he ever recover from that?
EVEN IF the complaint was driven by his parents (of which there is no proof other than the delusions of butthurt fans of his abuser)... so what? He's clearly not old enough to be in a relationship with an adult, to spend his nights drinking with adults, to exchange suggestive photos with them, to be pressured by his adult ex-girlfriend to continue a secret relationship he's not sure he wants, etc. The fallout of his first "breakup," which would have been negligible if his girlfriend was his own age, has apparently caused him acute emotional distress, it's interfered with his athletic development and it's probably stained his reputation, especially in Korea, for years to come. If I was his mother, I'd do more than file a complaint. Just stop typing malicious nonsense and try to put yourself in the shoes of the victim for one second.
I feel incredibly bad for him. But from the statement I’m not getting the sense he was traumatized by the actual incident but rather all the stuff that came after.
He couldn’t consent to something when he didn’t know what it was. More like poor kid was groomed and coerced and felt conflicting feelings.
He's 16 (obviously aware lol) and didn't have an issue with any of that UNTIL his stalker parents went through his phone and have since then been working overtime to "de-traumatize" their son (keep it up, you're doing great).
>He's 16 He's 15. >didn't have an issue with any of that UNTIL his stalker parents went through his phone > Lawyer Son Won-woo, the legal representative of junior A, said in a statement late at night, “The two players dated for about 3 months in 2023 and then broke up. In response to Lee Hae-in’s suggestion to meet again during training camp last month, A agreed to do so. “He said. He added, “The act in question took place on the day I visited Lee Hae-in’s room, and **A came out of the room immediately in a very embarrassed and surprised state**.”
Korean age system is some obscure thing, they're 16/19 (in rest of the world regular system), not 15/18.
No, you got that wrong. He's 15 in international age and 17 in Korean age. Haein is 19 in international age and 20 in Korean age. While in the regular system you start from 0 at birth and become 1 year older every new birthday, in the Korean age system you are 1 year old at birth and become 1 year older every January 1st of the following calendar year. So in practical terms, if you already celebrated your birthday this year, your Korean age is [your real age] + 1. If not, your Korean age is [your real age] + 2. You're never younger than your real age and you're always the same age as everyone who was born in the same calendar year as you. Take this example: [[source](https://www.koreanclass101.com/korean-age/)] > How old is Jungkook in Korea? His birthday is September 1, 1997. In Korean age: He’s 28 years old from January 1st until December 31st, 2024. In international age: He’s 26 years old until August 30th and 27 years old after September 1st, which is his birthday. Korean age is never used in legal matters btw.
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