Figure skating queen Kim Yu-na returns to rink with two gala programs
  • 5 years ago
Time now for our "Life & Info" segment... where we focus on information useful for your everyday life, whether you are in Korea or somewhere else around the world.
Today, we turn our focus to Culture and Sports
And to explain what's going on in South Korea right now, we have our Won Jung-hwan in the studio for us.
Hi Jung-hwan.

Hi Mark,... how well do you know about South Korea's all-time best figure skater,… Kim Yu-na?

Well today, I would like to talk a little about the figure skating queen who officially retired about 5 years ago, but is returning for some highly anticipated ice skating galas in Seoul.
So to begin with,... Kim Yu-na retired in 2014, after the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
In her decade-long career,…she was a six-time South Korean national champion, three-time Grand Prix champion, two-time world champion, and Olympic gold and silver medalist.
These are just the high points in her glorious figure skating career.
But South Koreans remember her as one of their all time favourite athletes,... not just because of her breathtaking performances that epitomized beauty, charisma and splendor,… but because of her image as a humble athlete who made the country proud in a sport that had previously been neglected.
When she won gold at Vancouver 2010,… Kim was the country's first Winter Olympic medal winner outside of speed skating, making her success even more remarkable.

Ok, I think we could go for more than an hour if I don't stop you,… so Jung-hwan please let us know how can we see her.

Ok, yes, so the 11th edition of the annual 'All That Skate' ice skating show is here,… and the star of the show this year... is Kim Yu-na.
For the fans,… it's been about a year since they last saw Kim Yu-na out on the ice rink.
Her performance last year at the "All That Skate 2018" ice show was just a 3-minute special guest appearance,… and technically its been almost five years since Korean fans have been able to see Kim make an official performance as a main star.
Lets listen to how she feels to be back.

"I'm looking forward to working with skaters who are actively performing on the global stage,... and excited to see how we can create harmony between us. I'm very happy to show our performances to the fans who have been waiting for us."

So the theme of the 2019 All That Skate event is 'Move Me.'
One of the two directors who has joined this ice skating program for the first time explains in more detail.

"Well the theme of the show is 'move me' and is taken from our opening piece of music which is movement by 'Hozier'. And the reason why we chose this is the lyrics perfectly for skaters is about, how we speak through our movement and we connect with the audience. And its that interaction from the public to the skater and back, and when you move, you move me."

Very interesting. So this is Kim's first official appearance since her retirement back in Sochi. Did she say anything else about how she prepared for this show for the Korean fans who have been
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