'Shock': Student who sexually harassed woman assaulted; 176kg legend disciplined... 'A massive 23 billion won' project exposed

*This content was translated by AI.

Controversy surrounding Terunofuji Haruo (34), a Sumo Association legend and former yokozuna who was disciplined for assaulting his student, shows no sign of subsiding. Criticism has mounted that the punishment was merely a slap on the wrist, while allegations have also emerged that the Association adjusted the severity of the disciplinary action to curb Terunofuji's massive new business venture.

Japanese media outlet 'Post Seven' reported on the 19th that "even after the Sumo Association issued its disciplinary action regarding Terunofuji's student assault, the fire remains large," adding that "the issue concerns not only the consistency of the disciplinary measures but also the potential impact on the massive project Terunofuji was pursuing."

Previously, the Japan Sumo Association held an emergency Board of Directors meeting on the 9th and imposed a two-rank demotion for Terunofuji and a 10% salary reduction for three months for assaulting his student, Hakunofuji (26). According to local reports, Terunofuji avoided the worst-case scenario of team dissolution after being credited with voluntarily reporting the incident and for disciplining Hakunofuji, who had sexually harassed a female sponsor representative while drunk in February.

However, local criticism has been fierce, citing a lack of consistency in the punishment. 'Post Seven' quoted a source stating, "Compared to the case of Hakuhou, whose team was disbanded in February for failing to intervene in his student's assault, Terunofuji's punishment is extremely lenient in that he is allowed to continue as a leader." The criticism continues, pointing out that "the teacher bears significant responsibility for keeping his student, who caused trouble due to poor drinking habits, at a drinking session until 3 a.m., yet this was overlooked."

Nevertheless, analysis suggests there was another reason why no objections were raised at the Board of Directors regarding the severity of Terunofuji's punishment. A Sumo Association official analyzed, "Yokozuna like Hakuhou have left the Sumo world under strict disciplinary actions, so the Association likely wanted to avoid a situation where a former yokozuna is unable to re-enter the Sumo world."

It is reported that the emergency Board of Directors focused more on the business venture Terunofuji is pursuing than on the assault issue. According to reports, Terunofuji's side is developing tourism products in partnership with a travel agency, including Sumo training tours for foreign tourists, chanko nabe experiences, and commemorative photo sessions. Within the Association, concerns have been raised that "the sacred Sumo world is being overly exploited for profit."

In particular, analysis suggests that a large-scale new business project worth a total of 2.5 billion yen (approximately 23.1 billion won) has hit a rough patch due to this incident. 'Post Seven' reported that "the Association has long been wary of Terunofuji's independent business expansion and has shown signs of attempting to pressure his massive new venture starting with this disciplinary action."

Previously, other media outlets such as 'Daily Shunchu' analyzed that this incident highlights the gap between traditional Sumo discipline and Hyundai's ethical standards. Among Japanese netizens on 'Yahoo Japan', some have voiced support, calling it "self-defense in stopping the student's shameless behavior," while many others have pointed out that the Association's disciplinary level is too low.

Immediately following the disciplinary action, Terunofuji bowed his head and said, "I am truly sorry for causing concern to many." Hakunofuji, who sexually harassed a female corporate executive, expressed remorse, stating, "My reckless behavior caused trouble for the Association and the world." However, the local situation in Japan shows a growing concern that this incident could escalate beyond a simple assault into a business rights dispute involving massive capital.

Japanese Sumo legend Terunofuji is a former yokozuna, the highest rank in Sumo. During his active career, Terunofuji was known as a monster-like athlete with a height of 192 cm and a weight of 176 kg.

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*This content was translated by AI.