Just Behind China: Korea’s Winter Olympic Review Sparks Reflection as Ryu Seung-min Calls Out “Shameful” Gaps

Following the conclusion of the Milan Winter Olympics, Team Korea finished 13th in the medal standings with 3 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze medals, just one spot behind China in 12th place. While the results were respectable, the post-Games review revealed deeper concerns.

At an internal debrief meeting, Korean officials expressed satisfaction with the overall performance — particularly the two gold medals secured in short-track speed skating, reaffirming Asia’s dominance in the sport. Moreover, Korea achieved a historic breakthrough in snow events, capturing its first-ever gold in that category.

A Historic Gold — and a Stark Reality

Choi Ga-eun stunned the field in the women’s halfpipe final, scoring 90.25 points on her third run to claim a dramatic gold medal. Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Ryu Seung-min was in attendance, visibly emotional as he celebrated the moment.

Yet during the review meeting, Ryu shifted the spotlight from celebration to concern.

“We Had No Airbag — It’s Shameful”

Ryu revealed a troubling reality: “While Choi’s gold is a source of pride, we discovered that she could not even find a proper airbag facility in Korea for training and had to prepare overseas. Under such conditions, she still won gold. That should make us reflect.”

He acknowledged that public awareness of winter sports improved after the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, but infrastructure development and athlete support systems have lagged behind.

“I have been in this position for nearly a year, and this is not an isolated case. Snowboarding and alpine skiing face similar issues. For a country that has hosted the Winter Olympics, lacking internationally qualified training facilities is frankly shameful.”

A Call for Reform

Ryu emphasized that Korean athletes are no less talented than their Japanese and Chinese counterparts.

“If Japan and China can win gold in snow events, so can we. We must not allow our athletes to fall behind due to inadequate facilities. That would be a failure on our part.”

Beyond medals and rankings, Korea’s Winter Olympic review has become a catalyst for structural reflection and potential reform.