Behind Kim Yun-ji’s gold: Korea’s para sports patron 작성일 03-12 10 목록 <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/03/12/0000085593_001_20260312175110640.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Chairman Bae Dong-hyun (left) poses with Olympian Kim Yun-ji at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Tesero, Italy on March 8. [BDH PARAS FOUNDATION]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> After Korea's 19-year-old Paralympics champion Kim Yun-ji won her first gold medal in Milan on Sunday, she went straight to Bae Dong-hyun — vice chairman of BDH Paras Foundation and Kim's biggest patron — to place her gold medal on his neck. <br> <br> Kim won gold in the para biathlon women's individual sitting, the first ever by a Korean female athlete in the event. <br><br>“I find it deeply meaningful that Kim Yun-ji’s hard work has produced such a valuable result on the world stage,” Bae said with a broad smile. His voice was hoarse after loudly supporting Kim throughout the race. <br> <br> Bae, the top vice chairman overseeing operations at major Korean manufacturing company, Changsung, is widely respected as a pillar of Korea’s para sports community. He has played a particularly significant role in winter sports. <br> <br> Bae became president of the former Korea Para Biathlon Federation, now the Korea Para Nordic Skiing Federation, in 2012 and founded the Changsung Engineering & Construction (Changsung E&C) para Nordic ski team in 2015. Until then, Korea had produced notable achievements at the Summer Paralympics, but its Winter Paralympic record had been limited to two silver medals. <br> <br> At the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics, where Bae served as head of the Korean delegation, Changsung E&C athlete Shin Eui-hyun became the first Korean to win a Winter Paralympic gold medal. <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/03/12/0000085593_002_20260312175110696.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Bae Dong-hyun, chair of the BDH Paras Foundation, announces his bid for president of the International Paralympic Committee at Aloft Hotel in Jung District, central Seoul, on June 16, 2025. [YONHAP]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> “I was able to prepare through overseas training without worry. I would not be where I am today without Bae, who even took care of our families,” Shin said while embracing him. <br> <br> “This is the most rewarding thing I have done in my life,” Bae said through tears. <br> <br> Bae Dong-hyun, a third-generation business leader, began supporting sports under the influence of his father, who was a former national equestrian team athlete and later served as president of the Korea Equestrian Federation and the Korea Biathlon Union. <br> <br> “My father was pleased when the Korea Para Nordic Skiing Federation was established,” Bae Dong-hyun said. <br> <br> Bae expanded his support for para sports by establishing the BDH Paras Foundation in 2023 and serving as its chair. The foundation has supported countries with limited resources in regions including Latin America, Africa and Oceania, helping five nations secure qualification for the Paralympics. <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/03/12/0000085593_003_20260312175110825.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">From left, Bae Dong-hyun, chair of the BDH Paras Foundation, Jeong Jin-wan, president of the Korea Paralympic Committee, Yu Yeon-su and Choi Yong-beom pose after a BDH Paras team induction ceremony on Dec. 16, 2024. [KOREA PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Bae has also supported athletes such as Yu Yeon-su, a former K League goalkeeper for Jeju who entered para sports after a traffic accident, and Choi Yong-beom, a former national canoe athlete. <br> <br> At the 2024 Paris Summer Paralympics, Bae accompanied the Korean delegation as its head and drew attention by presenting every Korean athlete with a pure gold medal as a surprise gift. Athletes from the BDH Paras shooting team, including Jo Jeong-du and Kim Jung-nam, won a gold medal and a bronze medal, respectively at the Games. <br> <br> Bae also ran for president of the International Paralympic Committee last year, becoming the first Korean to seek the position, but narrowly lost the election. <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/03/12/0000085593_004_20260312175110942.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Bae Dong-hyun, head of the Korean delegation, and Korean supporters cheer for Kim Jung-nam. [KOREA PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Kim is also a member of BDH Paras Foundation. Kim started Nordic skiing in 2020 while in her third year of middle school and joined the team in December last year ahead of the Paralympics. Training in an environment where Kim could focus fully on the sport helped the athlete rapidly grow into a world-class competitor. <br> <br> Before the Paralympics opened, Bae visited the Korean national team during its overseas training camp in Livigno, Italy, sharing a meal and offering encouragement. <br> <br> “The chairman personally cooked Korean food for us. I was able to perform well after eating healthy and delicious food,” Kim said after winning the gold medal. <br> <br> “Achieving this result in an event where Korean athletes rarely succeed makes it even more meaningful,” Bae said. <br> <br> Kim won a silver medal in the cross-country sprint on Tuesday and added another silver medal in the 10-kilometer cross-country interval race on Wednesday. Kim became the first Korean athlete in Winter Paralympic history to win three medals — one gold and two silver — at a single Games. Kim is scheduled to compete in two more events. <br><br><i>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.</i> 관련자료 이전 “안전 무시하고 사고 치는 AI로봇 걸러내다”…임무 수행 ‘새 평가모델’ 제시 03-12 다음 역시 금메달리스트는 다르네...'최연소 우승' 최가온, 냉정 성찰 "아쉬운 부분 많았어. 더 완벽히 돌아가겠다" 03-12 댓글 0 등록된 댓글이 없습니다. 로그인한 회원만 댓글 등록이 가능합니다.
