"We Back Them to the End" Behind Kim Sang-gyeom and Yoo Seung-eun’s Snowboard Success Stands Shin Dong-bin’s 12 Years of Persistence [2026 Milano]

[Financial News] At the 2026 Winter Olympics Milano Cortina, Korean snowboarding is enjoying a fairytale run. Veteran Kim Sang-gyeom of High1 claimed silver, while rising star Yoo Seung-eun of Seongbok High School took bronze, giving Korea two medals by the middle of the Games. It is the first time Korea has won multiple medals in a single Olympics in snow events such as skiing and snowboarding.
This success did not come overnight. Since 2014, Lotte Group has served as title sponsor of the Korea Ski & Snowboard Association, providing full-scale backing. Many now say that 12 years of dedication from Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin has finally allowed Korean snowboarding, once on barren ground, to blossom.

Kim Sang-gyeom, the “living history” of Korean alpine snowboarding, captured a valuable silver medal in the parallel giant slalom on the 8th (local time). The elder statesman of the snowboard team, who has appeared at four straight Olympics since Sochi 2014, finally stepped onto the podium at age 37, overcoming years of neglect for a non-mainstream sport.
The next day, on the 9th, the future of women’s snowboarding, Yoo Seung-eun, delivered a stunning performance. Having just turned 18 last month, she handled her first Olympic stage with composure and landed high-difficulty tricks in the women’s big air final to secure bronze. It goes down as the first Olympic medal ever won by a Korean woman in snowboarding.

Behind the athletes’ sweat stood their “patron,” Lotte Group. After becoming president of the Korea Ski & Snowboard Association in 2014, Chairman Shin Dong-bin declared, "We will usher in a renaissance for Korean skiing and snowboarding," and launched an aggressive investment drive, providing more than 30 billion won in support over the past 12 years. Having competed as a school-age ski racer himself, Shin has often remarked, "If I hadn’t gone into business, I would have become a ski athlete," underscoring his deep affection for the sport. Although he has since stepped down as association president, executives from Lotte continue to hold key posts and maintain support.
In 2022, Lotte went a step further by founding the Lotte Ski & Snowboard Team. The team identified promising talents early, including Chaeun Lee of Kyung Hee University and Choi Ga-on of Sehwa Girls' High School, and provided signing bonuses and training expenses. It also offered psychological counseling and English education, a tailored support system that allowed athletes to focus solely on training. The emergence of gifted prospects combined with this full backing created a powerful synergy. Yoo Seung-eun is also a member of the Lotte Ski & Snowboard Team.
Chairman Shin’s personal care for athletes has also drawn attention. In January 2024, when halfpipe prospect Choi Ga-on required back surgery after being injured during an International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) World Cup event, Shin personally covered the entire treatment cost of about 70 million won to help her return. The story has since become well known. Without Lotte’s swift intervention at the time, Choi’s Olympic appearance might have been in doubt.

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee has formally expressed its gratitude for Shin’s active support. In January, KSOC presented him with a plaque of appreciation, praising his contribution in creating an environment where Korean athletes heading to the 2026 Winter Olympics Milano Cortina can focus solely on their challenge, and in helping advance winter sports at home through his sponsorship.
At the ceremony, Shin remarked, "Lotte has continued to support the expansion of the base for snow sports in Korea, the development of young prospects, and the improvement of athletes’ performance," adding, "As our athletes have been performing well in recent international competitions, I hope they will also achieve great results at the 2026 Winter Olympics Milano Cortina next month."

Attention now turns to the remaining halfpipe events. Chaeun Lee, who won gold at the 2023 World Championships as the youngest men’s champion ever at 16 years and 10 months, and Choi Ga-on, who has dominated this season’s World Cup circuit, are preparing to make their Olympic appearances.
In particular, Choi Ga-on is widely viewed as a strong favorite for gold, having claimed three victories in this season’s FIS World Cup and currently sitting atop the women’s halfpipe standings. Ahead of the Games, U.S. business magazine Forbes wrote, "Choi Ga-on will be the strongest challenger to American Chloe Kim, who is chasing a historic third straight Olympic title."
Korea also has medal hopefuls in skiing events. Lee Seung-hoon of Korea National Sport University, who won gold at last year’s Asian Winter Games in Harbin, will compete in the men’s freestyle ski halfpipe. Jung Dae-yoon of the Seoul Ski Association, who has podium finishes at both the World Championships and World Cup last season, will race in the men’s freestyle ski moguls.

bng@fnnews.com Reporter Kim Hee-sun Reporter