Violence Prevalent in Korean Society

A procession of national disgrace

Human rights blind spots that condone violence.

Dark Shadows on Human Rights in Korea~

Shall we show them?

Forced conversion has become a social issue,
but is dismissed as a religious' or 'family issue' in S. Korea

• Targets of 'Forced Conversion' - Female College Students, Pregnant Women & Vulnerable Cancer Patients Who Suffer 'Kidnap, Confinement & Brainwashing' 

http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/12/targets-of-forced-conversion-suffering.html (the background of why forced conversion is taking place in South Korea, and the methods and resulting aftermath of forced conversion)

• Violent behavior in the name of religion in S. Korea 👉 Departed Gu Ji-in (25), a victim of forced education 

https://nomorenightriver.blogspot.com/2018/02/ban-forced-conversion-legislation.html

• To the scene of human rights abuses

https://nomorenightriver.blogspot.com/2017/07/14-method-korean-pastor-of-coercive.html

When will the culture of tolerating violence in Korea stop?

Twin volleyball stars' bullying scandal reveals dark side of elite sports in South Korea

South Korea's elite sports culture has come under the international spotlight for all the wrong reasons after two women's pro volleyball players, twin sisters, were revealed to have severely bullied their teammates back in middle school.

It's not just the twins though.

Violence in elite sports at school has always existed in the country, and insiders say now is the time for change.

Our Han Seong-woo has more.

They've plummeted from the top of South Korean women's pro volleyball to the potential end of their careers.

Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young have been suspended indefinitely without pay from their club... and kicked off the national team after admitting to having physically and emotionally abused their middle school teammates.

The violence isn't limited to just volleyball though.

It's present and deeply rooted in most team sports in the country.

"Back when I played, some of my older teammates threw completely frozen water bottles at me and even hit me with a piece of wood. I'd end up with bad bruises on my butt and thighs."

Once a victim himself, the former athlete laments that the physical and verbal abuse going on in schools is ignored by some coaches on purpose.

"Of course coaches turned a blind eye. It's because athletic performance is valued above everything else... And because they themselves were abused by their own seniors growing up, coaches think its okay for students to abuse their juniors."

But why does such a toxic culture exist?

Experts say it's a structural issue that the system in which elite sports operate is flawed.

"Many elite athletes in Korea live together in dorms, and they don't get to interact much with other students. This culture creates a blind spot in terms of human rights. All the irrational, inhumane acts happening in this bubble don't come to the surface and it leads to a sort of tacit acceptance."

Professor Chung says that what's needed to end the violence is an institutional approach.

One way to start, he says, could be to strengthen the role of the recently launched Korea Sports Ethics Center as a safe haven where victims can share their struggles and get professional help.

In our country, even though violence guarantees religious freedom not only in the sports world but also in the constitution, forced conversion is not disappearing, and it is a national disgrace and polluting the religious community in a dirty way.

✋ I agree that what is needed to end the violence mentioned by the professor above is an institutional approach. ✋

Do you have any better ideas?