SKATERS from South Korea

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary South Korean Skaters of all time. This list of famous South Korean Skaters is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of South Korean Skaters.

1. Yuna Kim (1990 - )

With an HPI of 45.35, Yuna Kim is the most famous South Korean Skater.  Her biography has been translated into 39 different languages on wikipedia.

Yuna Kim (Korean: 김연아; born September 5, 1990), also credited in eastern name order as Kim Yuna or Kim Yeon-a, is a South Korean retired competitive figure skater. She is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2014 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time World champion (2009, 2013) the 2009 Four Continents champion, a three-time Grand Prix Final champion, the 2006 World Junior champion, the 2005 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, and a six-time (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014) South Korean national champion. Kim is the first South Korean figure skater to win a medal at an ISU Junior Grand Prix or ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event, the World Figure Skating Championships, and the Olympic Games. She is the first female skater ever to win every major international competition, namely, the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the Four Continents Championships, and the Grand Prix Final. She is also the first figure skater ever to complete a Super Slam, having won every major senior and junior competition. She is one of the most highly recognized athletes and media figures in South Korea. As a result of her numerous accomplishments and popularity, she is frequently referred to as "Queen Yuna". She is the former record holder for ladies in the short program, free skate and combined total under the ISU Judging System. She has broken world record scores 11 times under the ISU Judging System since 2007, eight of which being records she herself set. She is also the first female skater to surpass the 150-point free skating mark and the 200-point and 220-point total mark, as well as the first and only female figure skater to have never finished off the podium in her entire career. Due to her strong artistry, musicality, skating skills, mental strength, and solid and consistent competitive record, she is regarded as one of the greatest figure skaters of all time. She is also noted for her rivalry with three-time World champion Mao Asada from Japan. After she retired from figure skating in 2014, Kim was instrumental in the successful bid to bring the 2018 Winter Olympics to Pyeongchang. She also had a successful professional skating career, producing and appearing in several skating shows. Due to her sponsorships, Kim was one of highest-paid athletes in South Korea, well into her retirement. She was included in Time magazine's annual Time 100 of World's Most Influential People in 2010 and in several Forbes lists.

2. Lee Sang-hwa (1989 - )

With an HPI of 35.30, Lee Sang-hwa is the 2nd most famous South Korean Skater.  Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Lee Sang-hwa (Korean: 이상화; Hanja: 李相花, Korean pronunciation: [i.saŋ.ɦwa]; born 25 February 1989) is a South Korean retired speed skater who specialises in the sprint distances. She is a two-time Olympic champion in 500 metres (2010 and 2014) and the 2010 World Sprint champion. She is the current world record holder in women's 500 metres with the time of 36.36 seconds set in Salt Lake City on 16 November 2013, and also holds the South Korean record on 1000 metres. She has also won three World Championships medals in 500 metres, and has placed in the top three in World Cup events four times in this distance. Her first World Cup victory, however, came on the non-Olympic distance 100 metres. On the 1000 metres, however, she has never placed higher than fifth in international events (2010 World Sprint Championships, first 1000 metres).

3. Lee Seung-hoon (1988 - )

With an HPI of 31.95, Lee Seung-hoon is the 3rd most famous South Korean Skater.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Lee Seung-hoon (Korean: 이승훈, Korean pronunciation: [i.sɯŋ.ɦun]; born 6 March 1988) is a South Korean speed skater. He won a gold medal in the 10,000 metres, a silver medal in the 5000 meters at the 2010 Winter Olympics, becoming the first and only Asian man ever to achieve these feats, a gold medal in mass-start at the 2018 Winter Olympics, a gold medal in the mass start at the 2016 World Championships in Kolomna, and a bronze medal in mass-start at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He was a short track speed skater, winning the 2008 World Championship 3000 m super-final and three gold medals at the 2009 Winter Universiade. Lee converted to long track in September 2009, as he failed to earn his spot on the South Korea national short track team in the national trials.

4. Choi Min-jeong (1998 - )

With an HPI of 31.51, Choi Min-jeong is the 4th most famous South Korean Skater.  Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Choi Min-jeong (Korean: 최민정; born 9 September 1998) is a South Korean short track speed skater. She is a three-time Olympic Champion (2018, 2022), a four-time World Champion (2015, 2016, 2018, 2022), Four Continents Champion (2020), and the current world record holder for 1500m. Along with Chun Lee-kyung and Jin Sun-yu, Choi is widely regarded as one of the best female Korean short track speed skaters of all time.

5. Chun Lee-kyung (1976 - )

With an HPI of 31.26, Chun Lee-kyung is the 5th most famous South Korean Skater.  Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Chun Lee-kyung (Korean: 전이경; Hanja: 全利卿; born January 6, 1976, in Okcheon, Chungcheongbuk-do) is a retired South Korean short track speed skater. She is a four-time Olympic Champion and three-time Overall World Champion for 1995–1997. She was a dominant force in International Short Track Speed Skating during the mid-1990s. Chun took part in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, at the age of 15, but failed to win much attention. In 1994, however, Chun won two gold medals at the Lillehammer Winter Olympic Games. She won the women's 1000 m final, defeating the reigning World Champion Nathalie Lambert and former World Champion Kim So-hee, and was part of the team that won the 3000 m relay in a world record time along with Kim. Between 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics, Chun won the Overall World Championship three times in a row, in 1995, 1996 and 1997 (becoming the second person to have won three consecutive Overall World Championships). She shared the 1997 title though with Yang Yang (A), her most significant career rival. She also won the Overall World Cup title for 1997–1998 season. In 1998, at the Nagano Winter Olympics, Chun successfully defended both of her Olympic titles, by defeating China's Yang Yang (A) and Yang Yang (S) in the 1000 m final after trailing for most of the race. Yang Yang (A) crossed the line together with Chun in what was ruled and reviewed as a photo finish, but was then disqualified for cross tracking Chun at the very end as Chun tried to pass on the inside (although the photo finish seemed to show Chun having defeated her for the gold regardless). She led the relay team to another Olympic victory with world record time, completing the first "double-double" in Olympic short track history. She also added a 5th Olympic medal, a surprising bronze in the 500 metres, her weakest event and which she had never won a World Championship medal in. She was advanced to the bronze after winning the B final, due to a major fall in the A final leading to the disqualification of Isabelle Charest, and the refusal to finish of Wang Chunlu. She became the first quadruple Olympic Champion in Short Track Speed Skating and the first one from Korea. One month later at the 1998 World Championships, her final major international meet, Chun won 4 medals including her 3rd title at 3000 metres, but was still narrowly denied a 4th consecutive Overall World Championship by Yang Yang (A) (the 2nd of Yang Yang (A)'s own 6 consecutive titles, after having tied Chun for the 97 title). The key event to the final overall result was the 1000 metres, where just as in Nagano Chun and Yang Yang (A) crossed in a virtual dead heat over the distance, but this time with Yang emerging the victor and getting the crucial 1st place points to the overall title with it. This provided the final chapter to the intense rivalry of the 2 all-time greats, as Chun would retire immediately after the meet. In 2002, Chun was elected to the Athletes' Committee of the International Olympic Committee.

6. Mo Tae-bum (1989 - )

With an HPI of 30.06, Mo Tae-bum is the 6th most famous South Korean Skater.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Mo Tae-bum (Korean: 모태범, Hanja: 牟太釩; Korean pronunciation: [mo.tʰɛ̝.bʌm]; born 15 February 1989) is a South Korean speed skater. He is the 2010 Olympic Champion and the 2012 and 2013 World Champion in 500 m. He started speedskating while in the third grade. Prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics, Mo won two distances at the 2006 World Junior Speed Skating Championships. He has competed on the national level since 2004 and has competed internationally since 2005. He won two Junior World Championships in 2006, but did not win any other events until 2009. In 2009 he won gold in the 1000 m and 1500 m events at the Winter Universiade. The international community gave him little attention before the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, but he became the first Korean to win a gold medal in a long track speed skating event as well as earning the silver medal in the 1000 m race. This was a large upset, as he was ranked fourteenth in the world in the 500 m race. Lee Myung-bak congratulated Mo for his achievements in speed skating following these wins.

7. Lim Hyo-jun (1996 - )

With an HPI of 28.63, Lim Hyo-jun is the 7th most famous South Korean Skater.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Lin Xiaojun (Chinese: 林孝埈; pinyin: Lín Xiàojùn), born Lim Hyo-jun (Korean: 임효준; Hanja: 林孝俊, born 29 May 1996), is a South Korean-born Chinese short track speed skater. He is the 2018 champion of the Men's 1500 m event in short track speed skating at the Winter Olympics, and also set the new Olympic record for the event. Originally starting as a swimmer, Lim took up skating at a young age. Despite multiple injuries early on in his career, he notably won gold at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics upon his international debut in the Boys' 1000 m event. He would later win the 1000 m and 1500 m events in the Budapest leg of the 2017–18 ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Cup and earn selection for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Upon his Olympic debut, Lim won the gold medal, setting a new Olympic record of 2:10.485 in the process, beating Lee Jung-su's previous record set at the 2010 games.

8. Cha Min-kyu (1993 - )

With an HPI of 27.66, Cha Min-kyu is the 8th most famous South Korean Skater.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Cha Min-kyu (Korean: 차민규, born 16 March 1993) is a South Korean speed skater who competes internationally. Cha participated at the 2018 Winter Olympics and won a silver medal in the 500 metres race. He set the Olympic record for the event with a time of 34.42 seconds but had his record broken moments later by the eventual winner, Håvard Lorentzen who beat him by 0.01. He also competed at the 2022 Winter Olympics and won the silver in the 500 metres event with time of 34.39 seconds, which was only 0.07 seconds behind the gold medalist and new Olympic record holder, Gao Tingyu of China.

9. Jin Sun-yu (1988 - )

With an HPI of 27.05, Jin Sun-yu is the 9th most famous South Korean Skater.  Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Jin Sun-Yu (Korean: 진선유; Hanja: 陳善有, born December 17, 1988, in Daegu, South Korea) is a South Korean short-track speed skater. She is a triple Olympic Champion from 2006 and a three-time Overall World Champion (for 2005–2007). She was the winner of the gold medal in the 1500 meters and the silver medal in the 1000 meters at the 2005 World Championships, as she ended up as the overall champion. At the 2006 World Championships, Jin won the 1000, 1500, and 3000 meters on her way to a second consecutive overall championship. She also finished first in the overall World Cup standings for the 2005–2006 season. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, she won three gold medals, winning women's individual 1000 meters, and 1500 meters events, and as a member of the South Korean women's victorious 3000 meter relay team. In doing so, Jin became the first athlete (by less than half an hour) from Korea to win three gold medals in one Olympics. Ahn Hyun-Soo matched Jin's achievement later by helping Korea to win men's 5000 meters relay.

10. Shim Suk-hee (1997 - )

With an HPI of 26.73, Shim Suk-hee is the 10th most famous South Korean Skater.  Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Shim Suk-hee (Korean: 심석희; Korean pronunciation: [ɕim.sʌ.kʰi]; born 30 January 1997) is a South Korean short track speed skater. She is a two-time Olympic Champion (2014, 2018) and a World Champion (2014).