Figure skater Lee Hae-in denies sexual harassment allegations

Lee Hae-in performs at the women's senior free skating at the 78th National Figure Skating Championships at the Uijeongbu Indoor Skating Center in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi on Jan. 7. [YONHAP]

Korean figure skater Lee Hae-in on Thursday denied allegations that she had sexually harassed an underage teammate during a recent overseas training camp, saying the two were dating at the time.

The Korea Skating Union (KSU) last week suspended an unidentified female member of the national figure skating team for three years on sexual harassment charges. The KSU learned of the alleged sexual misconduct while investigating a separate claim that the skater and one of her teammates had consumed alcohol during their camp in Italy — a violation of the KSU rules.

The KSU did not initially identify either of the two skaters, but Lee did a television interview that aired Thursday morning in which she denied sexual harassment allegations.

Lee, 19, acknowledged drinking during the Italian camp and apologized for that particular act, but denied she had engaged in any improper sexual act with the male teammate.

Later Thursday, she took to Instagram to reiterate her stance.

"I deeply regret drinking. However, charges that I sexually harassed and assaulted a minor are not true," Lee wrote. "He was my boyfriend when I was in high school. We broke up because of disapproval from our parents, but we got back together during this training camp because we still had feelings for each other. We wanted to keep it a secret from our parents.

"I thought I had done something that couples normally do to express affection for each other," Lee continued. "When I was being questioned by the KSU, I couldn't reveal that he and I were dating. But I didn't think it would lead to such misunderstanding that I had sexually harassed a minor."

Lee plans to appeal the KSU's suspension with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), according to her attorney, Kim Garam. Lee also wrote on Instagram that she will accept whatever penalty that's finalized by the KSOC.

Kim said the KSU had misunderstood the situation because it hadn't been aware of Lee's relationship with the male skater.

The female teammate of Lee's, whose identity is also being withheld by the KSU, was slapped with a one-year ban for drinking and for taking sexually explicit photos of Lee. The skater is also believed to be preparing for an appeal of that suspension.

Lee won silver in the women's singles at the 2023 world championships, becoming the first Korean woman to grab a world championship medal since Kim Yu-na won gold in 2013. Lee is hoping to be able to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy but will be ineligible if the KSU's suspension is upheld by the KSOC.

Yonhap