Short track skater Kim Gun-woo denies death reports after social media post
The former national team athlete said an obituary-like post was uploaded to his Instagram without his consent while he could not access the account.
Skater Kim Gun-woo
SCREEN CAPTURE
Former national short track speed skater Kim Gun-woo said reports circulating online that he had died were false.
Earlier Wednesday, an obituary-like post that appeared to have been written by Kim’s family was uploaded to his social media account, which led multiple news outlets to report his purported death. Kim posted a statement on Instagram at around 4:20 p.m. Wednesday correcting the reports of his death.
“I sincerely apologize for causing confusion and concern to so many people over this incident,” Kim said.
Kim said he was unable to access the Instagram account normally when the post in question was uploaded.
“Because I could not access the account, I was completely unaware at the time that the post had been uploaded,” Kim said. “I later learned that the post was there after people around me contacted me.”
“The post was neither written nor uploaded by me and was posted on the account without my consent,” he continued. “I am currently trying to determine why I was unable to access the account normally and how the post came to be uploaded.”
“Since I am still trying to determine exactly what happened with access to the account and how the post was uploaded, I believe it is appropriate to provide accurate information once the facts have been clearly established rather than make definitive statements about matters that have not yet been confirmed,” he said. “I am currently taking the necessary steps to verify what happened and address the situation.”
“Once again, I sincerely apologize to everyone who was startled and concerned by this incident,” Kim said. “I also ask for your understanding so that unverified information or speculation does not spread or get repeated until the facts have been established.”
Kim established himself on the international stage during the 2018-19 season, finishing first in the men’s 1,500 meters and second in the overall rankings at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup.
Kim emerged as a promising short track skater while attending Seohyeon High School. In 2015, while still a student there, he earned a place on the national team after beating more experienced skaters in the national team trials. Kim returned to the national team in 2018 but later spent another period away from the squad.
Kim fractured his ankle in November 2024 but recovered in time to compete at the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin the following February. He helped Korea advance through the quarterfinals of the mixed 2,000-meter relay and contributed to the team's gold medal.
Kim was named a reserve for the national team following the trials for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games and did not compete at the Games.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
