Jan. 9 (UPI) -- South Korea parliament unanimously passed an amendment to existing law to end physical and sexual violence in sports.

The amendment to the country's National Sports Promotion Act was passed, with 150 lawmakers in favor and one lawmaker abstaining, Newsis reported Tuesday.


The amendment includes a new punishment clause, which penalizes convicted sex offenders or instigators of physical violence with a maximum of 20 years of disqualification. It also requires newly certified athletic coaches and team leaders to receive sexual violence-related education to prevent crimes, according to the report.

The new law is coming into effect a year after Shim Suk-hee, a two-time South Korean Olympic Gold medalist and short-track speed skater, said she had been repeatedly raped by her coach since she was a teenager in training.

Other South Korean athletes in judo, archery and soccer have stepped forward with allegations of physical and sexual assault since Shim made her case public in 2019.

South Korea's parliament also unanimously passed a new law geared toward creating more jobs for people in their 20s and 30s, with 157 lawmakers voting in favor of the bill and three lawmakers abstaining, News 1 reported Thursday.

The new law is aimed at citizens between the ages of 19 and 34, and requires the central and regional governments of the country to assist young people with finding jobs, housing, financial planning and their welfare needs.

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Government at the local and national level must create new policies that can also promote entrepreneurship and ensure young people are not subject to gender and other forms of discrimination, according to the report.

South Korea's youth have previously said they are subject to precarious employment and dwindling opportunities.

South Korean think tank Korea Development Institute said in a report issued on Thursday the Korean economy has remained "sluggish" for the past 10 months, local paper Munhwa Ilbo reported.

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Investment in infrastructure has stayed the same from 2018 to 2019, and may even be decreasing, if excluding investments in the aerospace and shipbuilding sectors, according to KDI.