Kim Gunwoo Dies at 28... Tragic News Three Months After Short Track Retirement

Former National Skater Who Topped the World Cup 1500m

Gold Medalist at the Harbin Winter Asian Games

Short track speed skater Kim Gunwoo, who represented South Korea, passed away at the age of 28. It has been about three months since he announced his retirement in June.

On September 23, an obituary was posted on Kim Gunwoo's social media account. The bereaved family said, "We hope for your understanding that we are unable to contact each of you individually due to the shock of this sudden news," and added, "We would be grateful if you could offer warm condolences and prayers for the deceased on his final journey."

Kim Kunwoo, a former national short track speed skating representative, passed away at the age of 28. It has been about three months since he announced his retirement in June. Kim Kunwoo Instagram

The specific cause of death has not been disclosed. Local media in China also reported Kim Gunwoo's passing on this day, and it is known that his obituary states he passed away on September 23. Born in 1998, Kim Gunwoo was also known as Kim Hanul before he changed his name. He rose to prominence as a promising talent for the South Korean men's short track team, making a mark in national team selection events during his high school years.

Notably, he demonstrated top-tier skills on the international stage during the 2018–2019 International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup season. He won the men's 1500m at the Almaty, Dresden, and Torino competitions in succession, and ranked first in the season's 1500m World Cup standings. At that time, Kim Gunwoo recorded the highest total points in the men's 1500m for the season. After a hiatus from international competitions, he returned as a national team member for the 2023–2024 season. In his comeback season, he took first place in the men's 1000m at the first World Cup event, then went on to win gold medals in the men's 1500m at both the second and third World Cup events, notching three consecutive individual wins.

He also added medals in relay events at the World Championships. At the 2024 Rotterdam World Championships, he won a silver medal in the men's 5000m relay, and at the 2025 Beijing World Championships, he took home a bronze in the same event. At the 2025 World Championships men's 5000m relay, Park Jiwon, Jang Sungwoo, Kim Gunwoo, and Lee Jeongsu competed and finished third behind Canada and China.

Last year, he also competed for the South Korean team at the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games. Kim Gunwoo helped the team advance to the finals by racing in the mixed 2000m relay heats. As South Korea won the gold in the finals, Kim Gunwoo was also awarded a gold medal for competing in the preliminary round. However, during the selection process for the 2026 Milano-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, Kim Gunwoo was relegated to an alternate position and did not make it to the Olympic stage.

Subsequently, Kim Gunwoo announced his retirement from competitive skating through social media on June 22. At the time, he stated, "I am now ready to put aside short track, which has been my whole life since I was a child," bringing his athletic career to a close. He reflected on his journey as an athlete, expressed gratitude to his fans, and shared his intention to continue supporting short track in the future.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.