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| Song Ga-yeon / Korea Times file |
By Ko Dong-hwan
Korean female cage fighter Song Ga-yeon claims Korea's biggest mixed martial arts promoter forced her to pose for semi-nude photos and snooped into her private life.
In a Maxim interview released online on Feb. 10, Song said Road FC President Jung Mun-hong ordered her to do the photo-shooting to her shame.
She said she was "forced to wear only a thong" and to place a pad on her breasts."
Song, 22, who signed with Road FC in 2013, also told the men's magazine that Jung had consistently abused her verbally, treating her as "mentally challenged" in front of other members of his company.
She added that since she had openly had a romantic relationship with Road FC fighter and coach Seo Doo-won in 2014, Jung had persistently asked whether she had sex with Seo, 35.
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| Seo Doo-won / Korea Times file |
Song thought she was "not obligated to tell him about such a private part of my life."
It is the first time Song has used a media outlet to complain about Road FC since she informed Jung that she would leave his company in January 2015.
Song had sued the company for damaging her reputation (by claiming Seo had raped her) through press releases.
Song said she had dreamed of becoming a cage fighter, for which she had prepared by going to a high school for bodyguard aspirants and qualifying in martial arts, including karate, judo, taekwondo, kendo and jeet kune do.
After leaving Road FC, Song said she had been training in the U.S., where she had better mixed martial arts (MMA) future than in Korea.
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| Song, left, fought Japan's Satomi Takano in December 2014 to her loss in the first round of a Road FC fight at Olympic Park in eastern Seoul. |
Her dispute with Road FC had made it difficult to find a training gym, she said.
Song's interview has been met with online criticism that she lied and betrayed Jung's stewardship.
Singer Park Sang-min, also a Road FC vice-executive, said he was "a close friend of Jung, who, despite being 10 years younger than me, has always been an older brother to me and has a pure soul."
The star denounced Song in an interview with a media outlet on Saturday, claiming she "should watch her mouth for incriminating Jung mentioning the sexual allegation."
Road FC male fighter Kwon A-sol and octagon girl Choi Seul-ki also spoke out on SNS, advising Song not to criticize Jung.
According to them, Jung is "our benefactor" and "my hope, dream, passion and love."
