South Korea’s human rights commission plans to interview "possibly thousands of adult and child athletes about a culture of abuse in sports" after a "wave" of female athletes came forward to allege they had been raped or assaulted by their coaches, according to the AP. The year-long investigation will cover 50 sports and include children competing from primary schools upward, Park Hong-geun, an official from the National Human Rights Commission, said on Wednesday. He said that the commission "aimed to interview all minor and adult athletes" competing for scholastic and corporate league teams in speedskating and judo, which have been "marred by sexual abuse allegations." The investigation, pushed by dozens of government officials and civilian experts, "could start as early as next week and could extend beyond a year if needed." It will be the commission's "largest-ever inquiry into sports." South Korean competitive sports in recent weeks have been "hit by a growing Me Too movement," which "highlighted a brutal training culture" and "highly hierarchical relationships" between coaches and athletes (GUARDIAN, 1/23).
