The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission has nominated celebrated sports stars to serve as vice chairmen, aiming to further amplify athletes’ voices across both summer and winter disciplines.

According to the committee and chairman Kwok Young Kim on August 5, renowned archer Kim Woo-jin (Cheongju City Hall) and figure skater Cha Jun-hwan (Seoul Metropolitan Government) were each designated as vice chairmen representing summer and winter sports, respectively. The nominations were officially submitted to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee for approval.

In an inaugural meeting held on July 30, the commission selected national athletics record-holder Kwok Young Kim as its chairman. Fencer Choi In-jung was chosen as vice chairwoman representing women, while the authority to pick vice chairmen for summer and winter sports was delegated to the chairman.

The commission is permitted to have up to 21 members and as many as three vice chairmen. The appointments of Kim Woo-jin and Cha Jun-hwan are set to be finalized pending consent from committee members at the next meeting scheduled for September.

Kim Woo-jin solidified his legendary status at last year’s Paris Olympics by capturing gold in the men’s individual, team, and mixed archery events, bringing his total to five Olympic gold medals. In recognition of these achievements, he received a grand prize at the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee’s Sports Awards in February.

Cha Jun-hwan, a leading figure in men's figure skating, clinched a silver medal at the 2023 ISU World Figure Skating Championships and took gold earlier this year at the Harbin Asian Winter Games.

Cha also vied to become Korea’s domestic nominee for the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission during the upcoming Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics next February, but ultimately was outpaced by bobsleigh legend Won Yoon-jong.

Chairman Kwok Young Kim remarked, “There were many interested in the vice chairman role, but we felt Kim Woo-jin and Cha Jun-hwan truly represent summer and winter sports, respectively. We expect them to act as a vital bridge between the chair and the wider committee, serving as a communication hub.”

Kwok further explained, “Since Cha Jun-hwan is slated to compete at next year’s Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, we asked him to prioritize training until then, after which he will actively engage in committee activities.”

Kwok Young Kim, who also holds the Korean men’s 100m national record, concurrently serves as a delegate to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee alongside IOC Athletes’ Commission domestic nominee Won Yoon-jong.

Meanwhile, due to a schedule overlap, Won Yoon-jong and triathlete Kim Ji-yeon will attend the upcoming Asian Olympic Council (OCA) Athletes’ Forum in September on behalf of Chairman Kwok.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News