S. Korean taekwondo fighter gets 30-day suspension after drunk driving

SEOUL, Sept. 20 (Yonhap) — South Korean taekwondo fighter Lee Ah-reum received a 30-day suspension for her drunk driving incident last month, the national taekwondo governing body said Thursday.

The Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) said its discipline committee meted out a 30-day suspension to Lee for her wrongdoing that dishonored the taekwondo community. The 26-year-old will not be able to compete in any taekwondo competitions until Oct. 19, it added.

“We considered Lee’s past achievement for the country, and the fact that she had no penalty records in the past,” KTA said. “With the latest punishment, Lee will not compete in the National Sports Festival and World Grand Prix in Manchester, Great Britain.”

Lee is one of the top class fighters in the women’s 57-kilogram division. She won a gold medal at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and earned a silver at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

Lee was caught driving under the influence in Suwon, south of Seoul, on Aug. 28. Local police said she had a 0.151 percent blood alcohol level and requested prosecutors indict her for drunk driving.

Lee was originally on South Korea’s roster for the 2018 World Taekwondo (WT) 3rd Grand Prix in Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei, this week. However, she was later dropped by the KTA.

This file photo taken on Aug. 21, 2018, shows South Korean taekwondo fighter Lee Ah-reum during a medal ceremony at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta. (Yonhap)