Korean skating news & updates

[Karen-W]

They gave Gamelin citizenship for far fewer accolades.

Korea was also hosting the Olympics, which is no longer a factor.

 

[kwanfan1818]

The Team Event could be a factor, especially after their success this year at WTT, with Women a lot deeper and more competitive. When the TE is a factor likely depends on whether Cho can find a partner with whom to be competitive enough by then, and perhaps their standings in the 2025 WTT.

 

[skatfan]

Goodness gracious! That's a quick end to what I thought was a rather promising partnership. And certainly doesn't help Korea's chances at an Olympic TE medal in 2026.

Sounds like Adcock was not interested in continuing to train in Canada at least. I hope there’s a partner out there for her.

 

[Karen-W]

Sounds like Adcock was not interested in continuing to train in Canada at least. I hope there’s a partner out there for her.

Or, dealing with a major injury. Per his IG post - https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr6_AVWrYpa/

As many of you may have heard, I have made the difficult decision to retire from competitive skating. Over the course of this season, I was dealing with a difficult back injury. Given the injury, I am unable to continue training at the intensity needed to continue to compete. I am extremely grateful for the support that I received this year from the Korean Skating Union, and also the Korean fans. I want to thank my partner Hye Jin, and I wish her continued success in pairs skating for Korea. I also want to thank my coaches, Andrew and Alex, as well as my support team for everything they did for me this past year.

 

[skatingguy]

The off-season can be such a bummer some years.

 

[nuage]

Or, dealing with a major injury. Per his IG post - https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr6_AVWrYpa/

That makes more sense. He was coaching this season at the Kitchener-Waterloo SC. I assume he will continue with that…

 

[Sylvia]

Sihyeong Lee announced his 2023-24 programs, choreographed in Colorado Springs, CO last month - will he debut one or both at World Team Trophy this coming week?
SP: "Bittersweet Symphony" from The Crown; choreo. by Katherine Hill & Ben Agosto: https://instagram.com/p/Cp87BmYrp79/
FS: "Cloud" by Elias; choreo. by Joshua Farris (4 pics with him): https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp87ZX3Liyc/

Sihyeong Lee video interview after WTT (44 mins.):

Sihyeong Lee continues international climb

Sihyeong Lee Sihyeong Lee of the Republic of Korea was a proud part of the team bringing home the silver medal at the 2023 World Team Trophy—the country's

www.goldenskate.com

Re-posting links to the WTT vlogs of Hannah Lim & Hyejin Cho:

Hannah Lim:
"Hello everyone! This team trophy competition was such a fun experience! Cheering with team Korea made me the happiest and when we were on the ice, I could hear our teammates screams the loudest I am so grateful for this opportunity~ I hope you enjoy the vlog " (16 mins.): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYH9B-EABI0

"This time after our competition we were able to do some sightseeing and visit restaurants in Japan At the banquet it was really fun and I filmed whether or not we got the cheering award I hope you guys enjoy part 2 " (11.5 mins.): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2I36zEZVLE

Hyejin Cho:
My first ever international competition was my 2nd competition?! (22 mins.): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5SYpPfo2jo
First international medal then Shibuya sightseeing (17 mins.): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpk6kLfQyzI

 

[ptvvibezz]

Yelim is working with Sandra Bezic and David Wilson for her new free!

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[Sylvia]

Korean Nationals in January 2023:

1 Jia Shin 213.01 2 1 (142.06 FS) - Junior Worlds
2 Yelim Kim 210.28 1 2 (138.69) - 4CC & Worlds
3 Haein Lee 205.31 3 3 (134.56) - 4CC & Worlds
4 Chaeyeon Kim 200.60 4 6 (129.91) - 4CC & Worlds
5 Minsol Kwon 196.43 8 4 (131.92) - Junior Worlds
6 Yujae Kim 193.97 10 5 (130.64 FS with clean 3A!) - Junior Worlds; her twin, Yuseong Kim, won the Junior title

Reposting this article link on the Kim twins from the Programs/Choreographers thread:

Yujae Kim (KOR)
SP: Flamenco/classical guitar
FS: Avatar soundtrack
Choreographer: Yeaji Shin

[인터뷰] 꿈을 그리는 쌍둥이 별, 피겨 요정 김유재-김유성 자매

이전 이미지 다음 이미지 “저는 이거요.” 사진 촬영을 위해 고른 꽃이 사뭇 달랐다. 김유재는 스토크를, 김유성은 미니 델피늄을. 각각 ‘사랑의

mfocus.kr

Machine translated excerpts from the article/interview:

But a bigger hurdle came. In 2020, it's a corona pandemic that hit the whole world. Domestic competitions as well as promotion reviews were repeatedly canceled and postponed one after another. In particular, Yuseong Kim only applied for the 4th grade in November 2021, and was unable to participate in the ranking competitions and comprehensive championships that can be played from the 5th grade. She subsequently succeeded in her promotion in succession, but this butterfly effect delayed her international junior debut by a year. However, Kim Yoo-seong did not shrink. Rather, she has set her step-by-step goal for her Junior Grand Prix tryout in July 2023.

After a long wait, Kim Yu-jae and Kim Yu-seong went to their first international competition in the second half of 2022. Kim Yoo-jae participated in the 1st French Junior Grand Prix competition. She landed a jump and moved into third place, despite receiving an under-revolution (q) on her triple axel. Kim Yoo-seong, who was unable to participate in the selection due to water [pandemic?] restrictions, participated in the junior division of the Denis Ten Memorial Challenge held in Kazakhstan in October. It was the first time for the twins to have spectators at a game and to compete overseas.

From the face to the height, at first glance, the sisters look like the same person, but each has distinctly different strengths. In the jump, Kim Yu-jae was ahead, and in the spin, Kim Yu-seong had a special advantage. Her older sister Kim Yoo-jae became the world's youngest (5,015 days old) successful female athlete to land a certified triple axel at the Junior World Championships in March. Her younger sister, Kim Yu-seong, displayed a level 4 in every spin she participated in this season, except for one event (short program layback at the championships). It was a series of amazing achievements, but they showed themselves to be introspective for development.

The twin sisters are diligently preparing for the new season with their best coaching staff. Kim Yoo-jae's short program for the upcoming 2023/2024 season is flamenco, and the free program is the movie <Avatar> OST. Shin Yea-ji, choreographer who watched the movie, said that she was strongly inspired by Kim Yoo-jae. Meanwhile, Kim Yoo-jae was full of worries about his short program. Se revealed that each time she digested a program with a character through an OST, but this time she is challenging a 'completely new genre'.

Yujae: I am practicing hard for both the short program and the free program because teacher Shin Ye-ji passionately organized them. The flamenco music is a classical guitar piece at the beginning, and flamenco appears briefly in the second half. I'm worried because it's a new genre. These days, I change my skates and practice more, and I don't do quadruples. Rather, I am focusing more on the triple axel and the work. I want to make it to the finals this season by putting two triple axels in the free and clean.

Yuseong Kim's ISU bio (I didn't realize her international debut happened in late October 2022): http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00114920.htm
The article mentions she is keeping both programs: "Fly Me To The Moon" by Sia (SP) and "The Lark Ascending" by [violinist] Hilary Hahn, Ralph Vaughan Williams (FS).

Kudos to their mom! More excerpts:

Kim Yoo-jae and Kim Yoo-seong were together every moment. Even when they were apart for the game, they were together enough to monitor each other through video calls before the game. The twins have different training locations and have their own training time. Kim Yoo-jae is selected for the 2023 national team and is training at the Taereung ice rink, while Kim Yoo-seong is spending time on her team. The players say 'it's okay', but the twins' mother, Kim Ga-young, is having a hectic day.

Mom: ... The kids are working hard, really enjoying themselves. So, I didn't know it was difficult until now. Now that Yoo-jae goes to Taereung and Yoo-seong is on the team, I have to go back and forth, so I have a lot of worries right now. how can i solve this
Nevertheless, the reason why I keep going is because the kids say they don't give up. In fact, there are also financial problems. I also have an older sister who is in her first year of high school, and I am not able to take care of her older sister very much. I tell my kids that it's okay with what they've done so far, but now they say they can't give up again. I have the mindset of 'let's do it until we can do it for now'.

 

[Sylvia]

It looks like Ahsun Yun (https://www.instagram.com/p/CsquL8hPQQy/) and Minsol Kwon (https://www.instagram.com/p/Csy9ih9xa4t/) have completed their training time in Toronto (Granite Club with Lee Barkell, Jeff Buttle, etc.).

 

[Sylvia]

April 18:

Yelim Kim's last Instagram story 4 hours ago (machine translated):
"Oh yeah and back issues.
It's not a serious problem but I'm going to have a short-term hospitalization and have a simple procedure, so you don't have to worry too much! Thank you for your concern and I'll be back next season healthier and cooler"

Yelim has been in Toronto as well (one of her latest IG story pics was with Lee Barkell) and worked with David Wilson & Sandra Bezic on her new long program, according to Wilson's post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtBEQoWuPe1/
Which likely means Jeff Buttle choreographed her SP (his photo with her): https://www.instagram.com/p/CtBtbQauqT9/

 

[Sylvia]

ISU uploaded this Junhwan Cha 6-minute video from Saitama Worlds on June 7, 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mawXFa7Lrk

This video beautifully captures Junhwan Cha's remarkable journey, starting from the enchanting streets of Tokyo in search of cherry blossoms to the exhilarating world of competitive Figure Skating.
Despite the pressure and intensity of the World Championships, the 21 year old approached each performance with a beaming smile and an undeniable joy for skating. Junhwan has undoubtedly carved his name in the annals of Figure Skating history as he became the first Korean man to win a medal at an ISU Championships.

 

[On My Own]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1673993204671082496

 

[airgelaal]

I guess he stays in Korea?

 

[Sylvia]

I guess he stays in Korea?

Yes, Cha has been working primarily with coach Hyun Jung Chi (she also coaches Haien Lee) in Korea for a while now - link to a Twitter thread with more info: https://twitter.com/kteam_subs/status/1674008669481050115

 

[ryfyr]

I guess he stays in Korea?

Jun will probably stay with his current Korean coaching team (Chi Hyunjung, she had officially been added as his coach in 2022-23 season, but he had been seen working with her since at least the 2021-22 season as well), as he has not been able to train in Toronto since 2020 due to both the pandemic and Korean laws about athletes and university attendance. The student athlete thing is important because it is part of his eligibility for the national team selection and delaying mandatory military service.

 

[Sylvia]

2023 Grand Prix assignments as of June 28 (* = GP debut season):

Junhwan CHA (Skate Canada & Finland), Sihyeong LEE (China & Japan)

Haein LEE (France & Japan), *Chaeyeon KIM (Skate Canada & Finland), Yelim KIM (China & Japan), Seoyeong WI (Skate America & Japan), Young YOU (Skate America & Finland)

*Hannah LIM / Ye QUAN (Skate America & France)


From the KSU website - 2023 ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix Series Dispatched Player Qualifying
Tournament Schedule: 2023. 7. 22. (Sat) ~ 23. (Sun)
Venue: Taereung Indoor Ice Rink
Application Period: 2023.6.23.(Fri) ~ 7.10.(Mon) 17:00
※ Progress without spectators (only players, coaches and officials are allowed to enter)

ETA domestic competition schedule as of June 15: https://twitter.com/skatingkor/status/1669289590438473728

July 22-23, 2023: JGP Selection
Aug. 2-6, 2023: Kyobo Life Cup
Oct. 12-15, 2023: Espoir Comp, Gangwon Youth Olympic qualifiers
Nov. 30-Dec. 3, 2023: Ranking Comp
Jan. 4-7, 2024: Nationals
Apr. 18-21, 2024: Classified Comp

Dates for the National Winter Sports Festival are still undecided

 

[BittyBug]

Yes, Cha has been working primarily with coach Hyun Jung Chi (she also coaches Haien Lee) in Korea for a while now - link to a Twitter thread with more info: https://twitter.com/kteam_subs/status/1674008669481050115

Embedded in that Twitter thread is the fact that Ghislain Briand left the Cricket Club. Anyone know where he is now?

 

[ryfyr]

Embedded in that Twitter thread is the fact that Ghislain Briand left the Cricket Club. Anyone know where he is now?

Kinoshita and Champéry -- according to an interview he gave last year he wanted a change of environment.

 

[Karen-W]

Forgot to mention this yesterday, but Korea's men picked up a 2nd JGP spot in Osaka, so they'll have 8 spots total this season!

As expected, Korea will use all 14 of their women's JGP spots. And, rather unsurprisingly, they relinquished 1 spot in ice dance at every JGP, so will only have 7 spots total.

 

[EdgyIceMarks]

AFAIK Korea currently has 5 men eligible to apply for 2023-24 Korean JGP Selections.

Eligibility

• Figure skater with internal athlete registration for the 2023-24 season
• [Singles] Passed Level 7 Tests (sessions held throughout the year)
  [Dance/Pairs] Received Junior-level recognition through KSU's pre-evaluation
• Age-eligible for the ISU Junior Circuit for the 2023-24 season (Allowed Birth Date Range: 01.07.2004 - 30.06.2010)

Korean men meeting aforementioned criteria:

Juheon LIM 임주헌 (https://www.instagram.com/_limburger/)
http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00112844.htm
Domestic Competition Samples: Short Program / Free Skating

• Date of birth: 22.09.2005
• Passed Level 7 Tests on the 2020-1 session
  Passed Level 8 tests on the 2020-2 session

Hyungyeom KIM 김현겸 (https://www.instagram.com/hyungyeom17/)
http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00111160.htm
ISU Personal Bests: 213.56 (Total Score) / 75.77 (Short Program) / 137.79 (Free Skating)

• Date of birth: 27.06.2006
• Passed Level 7 tests on the 2020-1 session
  Passed Level 8 tests on the 2023-1 session

Hyeonseo PARK 박현서 (https://www.instagram.com/hyunseo41/)
Domestic Competition Samples: Short Program / Free Skating

• Date of birth: Late 2006 (according to this blog)
• Passed Level 7 tests on the 2023-2 session

Jaekeun LEE 이재근 (https://www.instagram.com/jaegeun_lee2/)
http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00111159.htm
ISU Personal Bests: 196.93 (Total Score) / 69.47 (Short Program) / 127.46 (Free Skating)

• Date of birth: 20.11.2007
• Passed Level 7 tests on the 2020-1 session

Minkyu SEO 서민규 (https://www.instagram.com/smk.__.08/)
http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00113854.htm
ISU Personal Bests: 209.59 (Total Score) / 74.39 (Short Program) / 135.20 (Free Skating)

• Date of birth: 14.10.2008
• Passed Level 7 tests on the 2022-1 session

KSU chose not to pick up extra spots for JGP Bangkok or Yerevan, but did manage to get one for JGP Osaka.
This together with the 1 guaranteed spot on each of the 7 events on the JGP circuit means Korea will have a total of 7+1=8 spots for the Men in the upcoming 2023-24 Junior Grand Prix series.

If all 5 of these eligible skaters were to apply, it remains to be seen how KSU will allocate the 8 spots, between 2+2+2+2+0 or 2+2+2+1+1 spots for each men, from highest to lowest finish in the JGP Selections.

Meanwhile there are like 20+ eligible Korean women so drafting a list like I did for the men is a tall order and I'm skipping that part (lol), they'll be competing for a total of 14 spots on the JGP.

Korea kept 1 out of 2 spots on each of the 7 events for Junior Ice Dance but I'm not sure if Korea currently has Junior Ice Dance teams other than Jinny KIM / Namu LEE at the moment, we'll have to see.

Application for the Korean JGP Selections ended on 10.07.2023.
Date of the competition is scheduled at 22-23.07.2023.
A Zoom conference between event representatives was scheduled on 13.07.2023, so we'll be expecting entries for the selection event to come up soon.

The competition will be held without a live audience, but an online stream of the the event is currently planned.

 

[EdgyIceMarks]

JGP Selection Competition 2023 event schedule and starting order are up.

KSU Official Announcement (Korean)
English Translation below, courtesy of Skating Korea Twitter account (@skatingkor)

https://twitter.com/x/status/1679449495577165824

 

[EdgyIceMarks]

KSU Announcement on 2023/24 Junior Grand Prix Selection

Entry will be based on placement in JGP Selection Competition.

Women Singles (2 spots for each JGP: 14 spots total)
1st - 5th Place: 2 spots, KSU funding covering JGP participation expenses for skater and coach
6th - 9th Place: 1 spot, KSU funding covering JGP participation expenses for skater alone

Men Singles (2 spots for JGP Osaka, 1 spot for other JGP events: 8 spots total)
1st - 2nd Place: 2 spots, KSU funding covering JGP participation expenses for skater and coach
3rd Place: 2 spots, KSU funding covering participation expenses for 1 of the 2 JGP events for skater alone
4th - 5th Place: 1 spot, no KSU funding

Pairs
No eligible registered skaters

Ice Dance (1 spot for each JGP: 7 spots total)
1st Place: 2 spots, KSU funding covering JGP participation expenses for skater and coach

Skaters selected for JGPs will choose their events, in order of placement.
With 7 spots in Ice Dance, Jinny KIM/Namu LEE will be able to choose their competitions at will.

(I wonder why KSU decided not to pick up JGP Men's slots for Bangkok and Yerevan if they weren't going to cover for JGP participation costs for the 4-5th placing junior men anyways)

***

Korean JGP Selection Competition 2023 Stream Links

Day 1 (2023.07.22 13:30 KST)

Day 2 (2023.07.23 12:50 KST)

 

[Frau Muller]

I’m most looking forward to the revelation of women’s dresses and hair accessories!!!

 

[On My Own]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1683011409095929856

Jia is amazing and I am genuinely excited to see her in seniors, which I believe will only happen during the Olympic season.

 

[EdgyIceMarks]

Korean JGP Selection Competition
# of JGP Assignments for Selected Skaters
(With video footage linked for each skater)

Junior Ice Dance
1. 김지니 / 이나무 Jinny KIM / Namu LEE: 2 spots
[RD] (1st) [FD] (1st)

Junior Men
1. 서민규 Minkyu SEO: 2 spots
[SP] (2nd) [FS] (1st)
2. 김현겸 Hyungyeom KIM: 2 spots
[SP] (1st) [FS] (2nd)
3. 임주헌 Juheon LIM: 2 spots
[SP] (3rd) [FS] (3rd)
4. 이재근 Jaekeun LEE: 1 spot
[SP] (4th) [FS] (4th)
5. 박현서 Hyunseo PARK: 1 spot
[SP] (5th) [FS] (5th)

Junior Women
1. 신지아 Jia SHIN: 2 spots
[SP] (1st) [FS] (1st)
2. 권민솔 Minsol KWON: 2 spots
[SP] (2nd) [FS] (2nd)
3. 윤서진 Seojin YOUN: 2 spots
[SP] (3rd) [FS] (4th)
4. 김유성 Yuseong KIM: 2 spots
[SP] (4th) [FS] (5th)
5. 한희수 Heesue HAN: 2 spots
[SP] (6th) [FS] (3rd)
6. 김유재 Yujae KIM: 1 spot
[SP] (5th) [FS] (6th)
7. 황정율 Jeongyoul HWANG: 1 spot
[SP] (9th) [FS] (7th)
8. 박은비 Eunbi PARK: 1 spot
[SP] (7th) [FS] (9th)
9. 고나연 Nayeon KO: 1 spot
[SP] (10th) [FS] (8th)

Event Results and Archived Information

JGP Selection Competition 2023 Final Results

https://twitter.com/x/status/1682965648270577665

https://twitter.com/x/status/1682976014194950144

https://twitter.com/x/status/1683011785605935107

Assigned # of JGP Slots

https://twitter.com/x/status/1683011574125015044

Event Protocols (now available on Skating Scores)

Day 1 Competition Footage Archives (HD resolution available; video order corresponds to starting order)

• Junior Ice Dance RD
• Junior Men SP
• Junior Women SP Group 1
• Junior Women SP Group 2
• Junior Women SP Group 3

Day 2 Competition Footage Archives (HD resolution available; video order corresponds to starting order)

• Junior Ice Dance FD
• Junior Men FS
• Junior Women FS Group 1
• Junior Women FS Group 2
• Junior Women FS Group 3

Miscellaneous

Munhwa Focus and SUNG Daewoo Figurephoto has photos of skaters during the event.
(The Munhwa Focus link also has interviews with select skaters)

I enjoyed this instagram reel from Yae-ji Shin showing her journey choreographing Hyungyeom Kim's Short Program.

 

[EdgyIceMarks]

Recent Munhwa Focus articles on Korean junior skaters.

Interviews with Junior Women Jia Shin and Minsol Kwon (Korean JGP Selection Competition 2023)
Original Article Link
ENG Translation below

https://twitter.com/x/status/1683191286973513728

Interviews with Junior Men Minkyu Seo and Hyungyeom Kim (Korean JGP Selection Competition 2023)
Original Article Link
ENG Translation below

2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Team Selection Competition - Interviews with Junior Men Minkyu Seo and Hyungyeom Kim

In the Junior Men's event at the 2023 Junior Grand Prix Selection Competition, held in July 22-23, South Korea's Minkyu Seo and Hyungyeom placed first and second, respectively, each earning two berths to the 2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating events.

Skating to "Le Temps des Cathédrales" from the musical "Notre Dame de Paris," Minkyu Seo earned the highest Levels and positive Grades of Execution in all technical elements except for his Triple Loop Jump Combination, placing first in the Free Skate and overall. "After the Free Skate, I didn't expect to win the event. It feels good to finally take 1st place," he said. He also thanked his fans for their support, saying, "Thank you as always for your me," and "I will do better in the future."

Having won the title with good skating skills, performance, and high quality on each technical element, the task that remains for him is the Triple Axel jump. 3 out of the 5 junior men in the competition landed Triple Axels, so it is something he needs to work on if he wants to stay at the forefront of not only international but also domestic competitions. He is still a young athlete and has a lot of potential, and we look forward to seeing what he is capable of in the future.

Hyungyeom Kim landed challenging jumps in the Free Skate, including a Quadruple Toeloop and two Triple Axels, but was unfortunately called for insufficient rotation on some jumps. In the spins, he earned level 4s and 3s, but received "V" on two of them. Nonetheless, it was the first time a quadruple jump has been landed in a domestic junior competition since Jun-Hwan Cha in 2016, which adds to the excitement for Kim's future international competitions.

"I've been having a good success rate, so I was able to try it with confidence," Kim said of the quadruple jump, "and I want to continue to show good consistency in the future." Regarding his rapid improvement from the second half of last season, he said, "I think a lot of attempts helped," and added, "I've gained a lot of strength, and I think I used my strength better as I understood how to use my body." He remarked, about some of his jumps called for rotation, "I think I didn't pay attention to rotation as much as I should have because I was focusing on [executing] the difficult jumps". He added with regards to his future goals, "When I get more comfortable with the difficult jumps, I will be able to pay more attention to the rotation as well their connectivity to the rest of the program." For the Junior Grand Prix, he said, "I'm going to slowly work on the things I'm less good at and prepare for many things other than just the jumps."

The 2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix, which the two skaters will compete in, starts off on August 23 in Bangkok, Thailand, and runs through October 7. South Korea has 14 spots for Junior Women, 8 for Junior Men and 2 for Junior Ice Dance, which were awarded based on the country's ranking at the World Junior Championships earlier in the year. The Korean Skating Union selected 9 junior women, 5 junior men and 1 ice dance team through the selection process.

Minkyu Seo, Storyteller On Ice
Original Article Link
ENG translation below (article continues in the replies of the Twitter thread)

https://twitter.com/x/status/1683156182473515008

 

[Karen-W]

Y'all got yourselves a pairs team...

Holy...

Hyejin Cho and Harley Windsor have partnered and will represent Korea!

Instagram

www.instagram.com

Korea wants a team medal in Milano!

 

[On My Own]

I a lot of canceling in Team Korea's future if they appear friendly towards Windsor

 

[PRlady]

I a lot of canceling in Team Korea's future if they appear friendly towards Windsor

Why? (I really don’t know.)