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일명 ‘임수정 사건’이 재조명되며 네티즌 사이에서 화제가 되고 있다.
해당 사건의 발단은 지난 2011년, 일본 TBS 예능프로그램 ‘불꽃체육회 TV 슛 복싱대결2’에 출연한 K-1 파이터 임수정과 일본 남성 코미디언 3명의 편향적 격투 시합이었다.
TBS는 임수정 측에 일본인 개그맨인 카스가 토시아키와 시나가와 히로시, 이미다 코지와 3라운드 격투기 대결을 제안했다.
임수정은 사전에 방송사 측에 “지난 대회에서 다리 부상을 입은 상태라 출전이 어렵다”라고 설명했지만 방송사 측은 “짜여진 각본에 의한 쇼일 뿐 제대로 싸우는 경기가 아니다”라고 설명했다.
당시 임수정은 ‘프로 격투기 선수’라는 이유로 보호장비 하나 없이 경기에 나섰다. 반면 일본 개그맨들은 헤드기어와 무릎 보호대까지 완전무장하고 있었다.
특히 임수정은 프로 격투기 선수라 해도 여자인데다 혼자서 3라운드를 모두 소화해야 하는 불공정한 설정이었다. 반면 개그맨들은 1라운드만 뛰었고, 50kg대인 임수정에 비해 상위 체급인 70kg-84kg에 육박했다.
또 카스가는 2007년 K-1 트라이아웃에도 참가했던 준프로급 격투기 선수로, 대학 시절 럭비 선수로 활동했다. 이마다 역시 종합격투기 연습 경력이 7년에 달했고, 시나가와도 방송시합을 겨냥해 종합격투기 훈련을 받았다.
시합 도중 임수정은 첫 상대였던 토시아키의 앞차기에 맞아 쓰러지는 등 일방적으로 난타당하고, 경기 종료 후 전치 8주의 부상을 당했다는 사실이 밝혀졌다.
한편, 2년전의 이 사건은 지난 6일 연예인 출신 프로격투가 윤형빈이 일본 격투기 선수 타카야 츠쿠다와의 데뷔전을 앞두고 언급하면서 다시금 도마에 올랐다.
(코리아헤럴드 정주원 기자)
<관련 영문 기사>
‘Im Soo-jeong controversy’ rekindled
The “Im Soo-jeong controversy” was rekindled as celebrity-turned-fighter Yoon Hyung-bin vowed Monday to beat his Japanese counterpart for her.
Back in 2011, Im Soo-jeong, the female Muay Thai champion and K-1 fighter, was asked to appear on a comedy show, “Flames Sports Competition” on Japanese TV station TBS.
In the show, she was asked to fight in an exhibition match with three Japanese male comedians.
Prior to the show, she was told that it was going to be a “mock fight,” or a light exhibition sparring to show off her martial arts skills.
TBS did not tell the Korean fighter that one of the comedians would be a K-1 caliber fighter and the other two had been boxing for years.
Unlike what Im was told, the three Japanese men fought for real. They had head protection while the girl fought without wearing protective equipment. Further, the three Japanese men had to only fight one round each, while Im had to go all three rounds.
Even after the female fighter realized what was going on, she insisted on continuing the fight, citing “sportsmanship.”
The fight left her with an injury that required eight weeks of treatment, causing nationwide outrage among Korean viewers.
By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)
‘Im Soo-jeong controversy’ rekindled
The “Im Soo-jeong controversy” was rekindled as celebrity-turned-fighter Yoon Hyung-bin vowed Monday to beat his Japanese counterpart for her.
Back in 2011, Im Soo-jeong, the female Muay Thai champion and K-1 fighter, was asked to appear on a comedy show, “Flames Sports Competition” on Japanese TV station TBS.
In the show, she was asked to fight in an exhibition match with three Japanese male comedians.
Prior to the show, she was told that it was going to be a “mock fight,” or a light exhibition sparring to show off her martial arts skills.
TBS did not tell the Korean fighter that one of the comedians would be a K-1 caliber fighter and the other two had been boxing for years.
Unlike what Im was told, the three Japanese men fought for real. They had head protection while the girl fought without wearing protective equipment. Further, the three Japanese men had to only fight one round each, while Im had to go all three rounds.
Even after the female fighter realized what was going on, she insisted on continuing the fight, citing “sportsmanship.”
The fight left her with an injury that required eight weeks of treatment, causing nationwide outrage among Korean viewers.
By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)
