SEOUL– A Seoul court on Wednesday ruled partially in favor of Kim Bo-reum, a South Korean speed skater currently competing at the Beijing Winter Olympics, in a lawsuit she filed to seek compensation from a former teammate for alleged verbal abuse.
The Seoul Central District Court ordered Noh Seon-yeong to pay Kim 3 million won (US$2,500) in compensation for hurling curses and other verbal abuse toward Kim during training between November and December of 2017 ahead of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
Kim, a three-time Olympian, had sought 200 million won in compensation for mental anguish, but the court did not accept other alleged instances of Noh’s verbal abuse against Kim because their statutes of limitations have expired.
Kim and Noh were at the center of a bullying scandal during the 2018 Winter Games.
Kim was accused of purposely leaving Noh behind during a team pursuit race — where teams are timed when the last of three skaters crosses the line — and thus hurting the integrity of the competition. Kim was also heavily criticized for taking jabs at Noh in a post-race interview.
Kim was ultimately let off the hook by the sports ministry following its investigation into the matter. According to her lawyer, Kim was hospitalized soon after the Olympics for excessive stress and received extensive psychiatric treatment because of panic disorder and adjustment disorders.
On Saturday, Kim is scheduled to compete in the women’s mass start speed skating competition. She won silver in the event in PyeongChang.
Source: Yonhap News Agency