Korea eyeing at least three gold medals at Winter Olympics, with games 30 days away
Published: 07 Jan. 2026, 16:26
![Korean athletes set to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, pose for photos at their joint press conference at Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong, on Jan. 7. Back row, from left: short tracker Lee June-seo, short tracker Rim Jong-un, figure skater Kim Hyun-gyeom, figure skater Cha Jun-hwan and curler Jeong Yeong-seok; Front row, from left: speed skater Park Ji-woo, speed skater Kim Min-sun, figure skater Lee Hae-in, figure skater Shin Ji-a, short tracker Choi Min-jeong, short tracker Kim Gil-li and curler Kim Seon-yeong [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/01/07/c948d7f0-1bae-42e0-bd41-e4500d7158fd.jpg)
Korean athletes set to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, pose for photos at their joint press conference at Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong, on Jan. 7. Back row, from left: short tracker Lee June-seo, short tracker Rim Jong-un, figure skater Kim Hyun-gyeom, figure skater Cha Jun-hwan and curler Jeong Yeong-seok; Front row, from left: speed skater Park Ji-woo, speed skater Kim Min-sun, figure skater Lee Hae-in, figure skater Shin Ji-a, short tracker Choi Min-jeong, short tracker Kim Gil-li and curler Kim Seon-yeong [YONHAP]
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) gathered Olympic-bound athletes at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, for a joint press conference marking the 30-day countdown to the 25th Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. KSCO President Ryu Seung-min and Korea Skating Union President Lee Soo-kyung, who will serve as the country's chef de mission in Italy, were also in attendance.
Athletes from around the globe will compete in 116 medal events in eight sports and 16 disciplines. According to the KSOC, Korea so far has had 37 athletes qualify for the Olympics in short track, speed skating, figure skating, curling, alpine skiing and cross-country skiing as of Friday. That number could reach as high as 69 once the Olympic quota spots are assigned later this month in other sports, such as snowboard, freestyle skiing, bobsleigh, skeleton, luge and biathlon.
At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Korea earned two gold, five silver and two bronze medals to finish in 14th place -- its lowest ranking since also finishing 14th at the 2002 competition in Salt Lake City.
"We would love to see our athletes win at least one more gold medal than Beijing," Ryu said. "And beyond the medal tally, we hope the Olympics will be an opportunity for our athletes to demonstrate their dignity and leadership."
Lee admitted she wanted to set a conservative target at first, but she soon became encouraged by recent performances by Korean athletes.
Noting that all nine medals in Beijing came from the ice, Lee said she hopes for a more diversified medal portfolio this time, with athletes in freestyle snowboard, curling, bobsleigh and skeleton expected to make their push.
![Ryu Seung-min, center, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, speaks during a press conference at Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong, on Jan. 7. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/01/07/37572aff-c8c8-4721-9827-d71cffa12dfe.jpg)
Ryu Seung-min, center, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, speaks during a press conference at Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong, on Jan. 7. [YONHAP]
Speed skater Kim Min-sun said she is trying to peak for her main event, the women's 500 meters (1,640 feet), scheduled for Feb. 15, with the help of the Korea Institute of Sport Science.
"They have been helping us with training and recovery, using equipment and advanced data analysis," Kim said. "We have objective data to figure out how much rest we need, for instance. Skaters in other countries have been doing that already, and I think we're moving in that direction as well."
Kim's teammate, Park Ji-woo, was more daring in her prediction, saying "We didn't win any gold in speed skating in Beijing, and we will bring home at least one gold this year."
Korea will be chasing its first Olympic gold in curling, period, and Jeong Yeong-seok, who will compete in the mixed doubles event with Kim Seon-yeong, said his team will try to be the first curling champion from the country.
"We were the last team to qualify for the Olympics in the mixed doubles," Jeong said of his team's playoff win at the final Olympic qualifying event last month. "And at the Olympics, we will try to be the last team standing with the gold medal in our hands."
Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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