SEOUL • South Korea's "Garlic Girls" curling workforce had been exploited by their very own coaches who stole tens of thousands of cash regarding prize money via the Olympic medal invariably winners, the nation's sports ministry said last night, before confirming the police will look into the case.

Typically the curlers, who come from Uiseong, the village famous for garlic farming, had been rank outsiders from very last year's Pyeongchang Winter weather Game titles.

But they grew to become some sort of media sensation as that they hidden their way to an Olympic silver, typically the first Asian workforce to help do so, even with restricted money.

Last December, these people widely accused their motor coachs, Ellie Min-jung and Jang Ban-seok, of verbal abuse plus intrusive control, together with claimed they experienced certainly not acquired their prize cash by previous challenges. 한국 컬링 advised public outrage and a übung by means of the ministry.

The team claimed the coaches were being running Korean curling being a family fiefdom. The husband of these head coach Kim is some sort of former national men's workforce coach, while the pops, Kim Kyung-doo, is usually a good former vice-president on the Korean language Curling Federation (KCF).

Right after a five-week research, the particular Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revealed how the allegations made by typically the curlers were being "mostly true".

Some sort of declaration read: "It seemed to be confirmed that presently there was too much control over privacy by means of the mentors, who powerfully berated the athletes if they gave a talk with their previous motor coachs as well as athletes from various other teams. "

It added that the mentors furthermore censored gifts plus admirer letters.

The ministry stated that the team have been not paid out properly like the coaches acquired "mismanaged" around 94 mil won (S$112, 900) of the cash flow, whilst embezzling all around 40 million won.

The particular probe also found the motor coach buses had evaded income tax plus hired unqualified loved ones users to work on the particular indigenous team.

The ministry can inform the State Levy Service of their findings regarding Kyung-doo's taxes forestalling, according to Yonhap.

But the reports agency quoted Kang Jung-won, brain of the sports cooperation bureau at the ministry, while saying the accused events "did not agree" together with the outcome and were contemplating an appeal.

Typically the giant-killing feats of the quintet, generally known as "Team Kim" for their shared label, led to a boost from the popularity of curling in Southerly Korea.

Many people appeared to have all often the right ingredients for further more success, with their food-based nicknames for ease associated with identification making them mass media darlings.


The captain, .k Eun-jung, is Annie : a brand of low fat yogurt instructions while Kim Yeong-mi can be Pancake, Kim Kyeong-ae will be Steak, Kim Seon-yeong is usually Sunny - like in a good sun-drenched side-up egg - and Betty Cho-hee will be Chocho, the type of sandwich.

However , they have since plummeted throughout the world rankings following failing to win the particular countrywide trial offers in Aug.