A moment that might have seemed routine at the finish line of the 2025 Incheon International Marathon quickly became the topic of online debate, drawing attention from spectators and social media users alike.
Footage from the race showed 33-year-old marathoner Lee Su-min, who finished the 42.195-kilometer course first in the women’s elite division with a time of 2 hours, 34 minutes and 41 seconds, being approached by her coach, 57-year-old Kim Wan-ki. Kim, a former marathoner now leading Samcheok City Hall’s track team, wrapped a towel around Lee as she finished, in what could be seen as a routine practice to protect the runner immediately after a race.
In the video, Lee instantly pulls back, grimacing and pushing the coach away.
This brief interaction quickly went viral, prompting online discussion over whether the scene was standard postrace care or could be seen as sexually inappropriate behavior.
“Any woman would feel uncomfortable,” one user wrote on Threads.
“Covering athletes with towels is something coaches do all the time. If she reacted that way, maybe there was already an issue between her and Kim,” another user commented.
Others, however, cautioned against reading too much into a short moment in a single video.
“She might have grimaced simply because she was exhausted. Until both sides clarify what happened, people need to stop jumping to conclusions,” a user wrote on X.
As controversy escalated, Kim sought to clarify in an interview with a local news outlet that his actions were intended to protect the athlete. “Marathons can be extremely tough. If we don’t help (athletes) after the finish, they could fall and hurt themselves,” he said.
“To viewers, the scene of me holding her and her pulling away might be interpreted as inappropriate, but in our sport, this kind of situation happens all the time.”
He added that Lee had apologized to him for the controversy, explaining that she pushed him away unintentionally because she was in so much pain that she could barely breathe.
Lee, however, has not made a formal comment on the incident.
The Incheon International Marathon, held at the Incheon Munhak Sports Complex on Sunday, drew more than 20,000 participants from here and abroad.
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