▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Feb. 12, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
▲ Choi Gaon of South Korea celebrates on the podium after winning the gold medal in the women's halfpipe snowboarding event at the Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 12, 2026. (Yonhap)

Lee-snowboarder medalist

Lee congratulates snowboarder Choi Gaon on winning gold medal

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Feb. 13 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Friday congratulated snowboarder Choi Gaon on winning a gold medal at the women's halfpipe snowboard event at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

"I applaud the fighting spirit of Choi Gaon, who has written a new chapter in the history of Korean snowboarding," Lee wrote on Facebook after Choi clinched South Korea's first gold medal of the competition Thursday (local time).

Lee praised Choi for overcoming falls in the first and second runs before delivering a standout performance in the third, expressing high hopes for the 17-year-old's future career.

"Since winning its first Olympic medal in snowboarding in 2018, Korean snowboarding has gradually expanded its horizons from alpine to freestyle and halfpipe," Lee said. "This achievement shows that the Republic of Korea now stands shoulder to shoulder with the world's best even in the symbolic freestyle event of halfpipe."

Lee also congratulated Lim Jong-eon on winning a bronze medal in the men's 1,000-meter short track race, describing the 18-year-old as a promising young athlete.

He said Lim's achievement demonstrates that the strength and tradition of South Korean short track remain firmly intact even amid a generational transition.

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