KOREA’S SUMMER of 2021 was one filled with much-needed celebration and triumph, thanks to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Postponed for a full year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Olympics was especially appreciated by Korean fans as they virtually watched athletes transcend their physical limits and win medals for their nation. From rigorous social distancing guidelines to crowd-less stadiums, Tokyo’s Olympics was unlike any other held so far. Considering that South Korean athletes made significant strides in their respective sports despite such unprecedented circumstances, let's take a look at some of their achievements.

South Korean Olympic teen stars 

   The accomplishments of South Korean Olympians in their teens were especially notable in 2021, as they broke multiple records across several different sporting events. From archery to swimming, the rising prominence of teen athletes awarded the Republic of Korea with not only extensive media coverage worldwide but also foreshadowed the optimistic future of Korean sports. 

   Teen Olympian archers An San and Kim Je-deok won South Korea’s very first medals in the Tokyo Olympics. An made history as she became the first archer to win three Olympic gold medals in the women’s team, mixed team, and women’s individual events. Additionally, 17-year-old archer Kim obtained two Olympic gold medals in the mixed team and men’s team events. Kim became an overnight internet sensation for his loud, fiery battle cries and outstanding teamwork with partner An in the mixed team event. The duo’s combined total of five gold medals won in a single sport seemed to bear even more significance as fans discovered it was their first time competing in the Olympics, earning them the title “genius youngsters[1].”

   Meanwhile, outside the arrows and sporting rings, 18-year-old swimmer Hwang Sun-woo finished fifth in the Tokyo Olympics men’s 100 m freestyle final and broke multiple swimming records. Despite not winning medals, Hwang was the first-ever South Korean to reach the 100 m freestyle finals in the Olympics, an event infamous for being a wall that most Asian athletes fail to overcome. Hwang also competed in the 200 m freestyle category, where he broke the 11-year-long South Korean record set by swimmer Park Tae-hwan by 0.18 seconds[2]. Like the teen archers An and Kim, it was also Hwang’s first time competing in the Olympics. Even breaking his personal swimming record by 0.34 seconds in Tokyo, Hwang is set to focus on improving his athletic capacities to win medals in future Olympics[3]. It was a pleasantly surprising revelation for the Korean community to witness younger athletes thriving in Tokyo, given the competitive, cutthroat nature of the Olympics that even adults find difficult to endure. 

Medals, medals, medals

   While South Korean teen stars made notable Olympics history, they were not the only athletes who won medals representing Korea. South Korea won a total of 20 medals, making it the 16th best performing nation out of the 205 countries that competed in this year’s Olympics[4]. Medals came from various categories including but not limited to badminton, judo, taekwondo, and pistol shooting. Athletes who did not win medals also made highly notable achievements; volleyball player Kim Yeon-keoung, for instance, made modern Olympic history as she became the first player to record 30 or more points in four Olympic games, leading the women’s volleyball team to the semifinals. 

   South Korea’s fencing team became globally recognized after winning six medals in the 2012 London Olympics[5]. The Korean team maintained their reputation in the 2020 Tokyo games as they took home five medals in five events. One of the distinctive features of this year’s fencing games, however, was that most of the medals were won after a yeok-jeon, or claiming a victory after an initial series of losses. For instance, in the women’s saber team event, South Korea was losing to Italy by a staggering ten points at the beginning but finished the game with a 45:42 victory. This dramatic comeback instantly became an internet sensation thanks to the outstanding performance of veteran sabrists like Kim Ji-yeong. Video clips of the players experiencing a breathtaking victory over Italy amassed thousands of views on social media platforms within minutes. The sudden influx of attention even prompted South Korean President Moon Jae-in to send congratulatory messages to the women’s saber fencing team for winning a bronze medal and “providing the Korean people with great joy and courage[6].” 

   Alongside the fencing team’s performance was the heartwarming father-daughter story of South Korean gymnast Yeo Seo-jeong. Yeo won a bronze medal in the women’s vault event, making her the first-ever South Korean female gymnast to win an Olympic medal. Yeo gained extensive media coverage due to the unique background of her father, Yeo Hong-chul, who won a silver medal at the men’s vault event in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Yeo’s mother, Kim Chae-eun, was also an athlete who won a bronze medal at the artistic gymnastics event in the 1994 Hiroshima Asian games[7]. Having inherited her parents’ athletic aptitude, in the first vault Yeo received the highest score as she performed the complex “Yeo technique” named after herself. Yeo only slipped to third place due to a mistake in the landing process of her second vault. After finishing the Olympics, Yeo announced that she wishes to uphold her parents’ legacy in future Olympics and plans on perfecting new gymnastics techniques to achieve her goal of winning a gold medal[8]. 

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   South Korea’s “medal frenzy” lasted for a mere 16 days. Fans, coaches, athletes are to resume their pre-Olympic lives and wait for what the 2024 Paris Olympics has in store. For now, Korea will excitingly anticipate the optimistic futures of Korean teen Olympians who have already come so far. Medal or no medal, it is important to recognize the years of hard work South Korean Olympians put into preparing for the world’s largest international sporting event. After all, Korean fans witnessed once again the inspirational power of sports that unites people in a divided world, far beyond the limited time span of the Olympics. 

[1] JTBC

[2] Donga Ilbo

[3] Chosun Ilbo

[4] Olympic Channel Services

[5] Korean Fencing Federation

[6] Office of the President 

[7] Hanguk Ilbo

[8] Maekyung