Scandals are commonplace in figure skating. However, even inside it, sometimes something unusual happens. Eight-time South Korean men’s champion Lee Kyu-hyun has been sentenced to four years in prison for attempted rape. RIA Novosti Sport understands the nuances of a sensational case.

Lee Kyu Hyun is a figure skating legend in South Korea. He won the local championship eight times in a row from 1996 to 2003. The athlete was twice selected for the Olympic Games, but finished in the third ten both times. Its maximum value at the world championships is in the 26th place. However, even with these results in South Korea, he has become the symbol of a generation in single men. No one was surprised when he was offered a coaching position in the local federation after his career ended.

It started with teenagers, then moved on to girls. A year ago, one of them filed a complaint with the police. It turned out that the former skater harassed the 18-year-old ward and tried to videotape what happened. Persons under the age of 20 are considered minor in South Korea, so the article carries heavy penalties. Information about the scandal was leaked to the press.

Also, Lee Kyu Hyun refused to cooperate with the investigation. Before the verdict was announced, the former athlete completely denied his guilt and did not show even the slightest sympathy. The prosecutor’s office asked for 6 years in prison, but the court sentenced the 42-year-old coach to four years in prison.

The media did not stop at the decision. They began to “dig” under Lee Kyu and learned many terrible details. In 2005, it was revealed that the former skater shot and killed a pedestrian and fled the scene of the accident. Then everything was covered. Since then, he has been caught drunk driving three more times, but without serious consequences.

Lee Kyu Hyun was also suspected of being a pedophile. In 2016, she went to one of the tournaments under the auspices of ISU with a junior figure skater. After the skateboard, the coach and the ward waited for the judges’ scores in the Kiss and Cry section. The mentor, noticed by the fans who filled the ISU with angry messages, hugged the student without hesitation and rudely. However, the case was not considered. The South Korean Figure Skating Federation later announced that the athlete did not complain about the trainer’s behavior.

The arrest has been a blow to local sports officials who have tackled sexual abuse in sports in recent years. Two years ago, South Korea was rocked by several terrible events. It turned out that skater Sim Seok-hee was raped by a personal trainer for almost his entire career and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. But this is not the worst. That same year, 22-year-old triathlete Choi Suk-hyun committed suicide due to systematic abuse.

The Korean Ministry of Sports established a “Sports Ethics Center” to combat violence. Lee Kyu Hyun’s condition shows that the new body is not up to the task.

The decision will also affect the family of the accused. His family’s life will now change for sure. The accused Lee Ke Hyuk’s brother is a four-time world champion in speed skating. He was the flag bearer of the South Korean team at the Sochi Games.

Probably, now he will “come” due to the abuse of a relative. “Cancellation culture” has already touched his wife, a well-known singer and actress in South Korea. The owners of the programs and podcasts presented by the girl announced the end of their cooperation.