SEOUL -- Twin sisters who were expected to play an active role in the Tokyo Olympics as mainstays of South Korean women's volleyball have been expelled from the national team because of bullying they committed in their childhood.
The harsh punishment is partly due to the strong stance of the Korean sporting world on efforts to eradicate violence.
The 24-year-old twin players are Lee Jae-yeong and Lee Da-yeong. Their mother is a former Olympic volleyball player, and both made their debut on the national team while in high school. They have attracted attention comparable to that lavished on musical idols, and they have also appeared in car commercials.
According to the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper and other media, the issue began to surface after Da-yeong made a social media post in which she appealed for sympathy for victims of bullying, saying "The bully may be happy, but the bullied want to die."
This comment, which seemed to suggest that she had forgotten her own past conduct as a bully, prompted four junior members of the sisters' elementary and junior high school volleyball teams to publish accusations on the Internet on Feb. 10.
The four listed 21 misdeeds, including "I was ordered to do chores after lights out at the training camp, and I was threatened with a knife when I refused," "They bought snacks with extorted money and ate them with their friends," and "I was hit on the head."
When the issue blew up on the Internet, both players published handwritten apologies, saying that they had hurt many people with their irresponsible actions when they were immature. However, far from the issue subsiding, other posts claiming that they had been bullied continued to appear.
The Korea Volleyball Association announced Monday that both players would be removed from the national team indefinitely and would not be allowed to participate in the Tokyo Olympics.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said at a Tuesday meeting of the presidential office, "Violence must be eliminated, from schools to national teams." The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Tuesday its policy of removing players from the national team selection process if they have a history of being disciplined for violence, even outside of volleyball.
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