"That Wasn't My Post"...Short Track Star Kim Gunwoo's Death Rumor Was False

Obituary Posted on His Own SNS Account

"Unable to Access SNS Normally at the Time"

On September 23, rumors of the death of former short track national team athlete Kim Gunwoo surfaced, but were corrected within a few hours. Kim suggested the possibility that his social networking service (SNS) account, where the original obituary message appeared, may have been hacked.

On this day, Kim Gunwoo stated through his Instagram account, "I sincerely apologize for causing confusion and concern to many people," adding, "The post was neither written nor uploaded by me, and it was posted on my account without my knowledge or intention."

He added, "I take seriously the fact that many people were worried and confused after the post's content spread before the facts were fully clarified."

Former short track national athlete Kim Geonwoo. Instagram

Earlier that day, an obituary for Kim Gunwoo was uploaded to his account. According to the post, it read: "We ask for your generous understanding as we are unable to contact everyone due to the sudden and shocking news," and, "We would appreciate your warm condolences and prayers for the late Kim's final journey."

However, Kim Gunwoo explained, "At the time the problematic post was uploaded, I was unable to properly access my Instagram account. Because I could not log in to my account, I was completely unaware that such a post had been uploaded, and I only found out later through messages from people around me."

He continued, "I am currently investigating the cause of my inability to access the account, as well as how and why the post was uploaded. I am taking all necessary actions to confirm and resolve the issue."

Meanwhile, Kim Gunwoo, born in 1998, was also known by his previous name, Kim Hanul, and rose as a promising talent in Korean men's short track, standing out in national team selections since his high school days.

After showcasing world-class skills during the 2018–2019 International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup season, he returned as a national team member in the 2023–2024 season and won medals at various world championships.

On June 22, 2026, Kim Gunwoo announced his retirement from active competition through his SNS account. At the time, he expressed his gratitude to fans, saying, "I am finally stepping away from short track, which has been my whole life since childhood."

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