Kim So-young, a former gymnast who was paralysed from the neck down at 16 after falling off the parallel bars while training, talks to former Olympic gold medalist Jang Mi-ran (R) at her office in Seoul, South Korea, October 23, 2015. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
SEOUL (Reuters) - Weightlifting champion Kim Byeong-chan died alone, paralysed and penniless after a motorcycle accident cut short his career, and for some former athletes his demise is a consequence of South Korea's ruthless pursuit of sporting excellence.
The limited social safety net for athletes who get seriously injured, or who fail to make the grade, is a concern for many sportsmen and women in South Korea, a country which arrived on the global stage with the hosting of the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
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