"No Deliberate Obstruction"... Short Track Skater Hwang Dae-heon Personally Addresses Controversies Involving Lim Hyo-jun and Park Ji-won

[The Financial News] National short track speed skating team member Hwang Dae-heon, 27, has personally stated his position on the incident that led Lim Hyo-jun to change nationality to China and on allegations that he committed fouls against a teammate.
Through his agency LionAt on the 6th, Hwang said, "Because I did not make any separate statement on the various controversies, information that was not true came to be treated as established fact," adding, "I want to correct that." He then laid out in detail the various disputes and suspicions surrounding him.
In June 2019, while training at the Jincheon National Training Center in North Chungcheong Province, Hwang reported to the Korea Skating Union that he had felt sexual humiliation due to Lim Hyo-jun's actions. The federation imposed a suspension from competition on Lim, who later changed nationality to China and has been competing under the name Lin Xiaojun. Lim was initially fined in the first trial, but was found not guilty on appeal and at the Supreme Court. Before the not-guilty verdict was finalized, he chose to become a Chinese national.
Beyond the court outcome, criticism of Hwang intensified after allegations surfaced that, while resting near a climbing apparatus, he slapped a female skater on the buttocks as a prank, causing her to fall.
Regarding what happened at the time, Hwang explained, "Lim Hyo-jun suddenly ran over and yanked down my pants and underwear," adding, "There were female skaters and underage skaters around us." He maintained that he did in fact feel humiliated because his body was exposed. He added, "It was not a situation where only men were present, and I felt that pulling down not only my pants but even my underwear clearly crossed the line."
He recalled that even after the incident, Lim did not apologize. "Instead, he called out my name, danced, and made fun of me," Hwang said. "I felt he was looking down on me and mocking me, so I went back to the dormitory."
According to Hwang's side, Lim only apologized about two weeks later, and immediately after that apology he demanded that Hwang sign a "statement of confirmation." Hwang said, "Lim apologized in the presence of the Goyang City Hall coach, the national team coach, and my parents, and I replied, 'If you are sincere, I'm okay too.'" He continued, "As soon as I finished answering, Lim asked me to sign a statement that included phrases like 'I accepted the apology and we reconciled.'"
Hwang explained that his parents objected to Lim's behavior and left the meeting, which made it difficult for the family to accept Lim's apology as sincere.
Hwang also denied the allegation that he "turned Lim away at the door" when Lim later came to apologize, saying, "That is not true." He noted that he was questioned by police over the incident in which he slapped a female skater on the buttocks. "After Lim received a one-year suspension," he said, "I too was investigated not as a simple victim but as a suspect at the Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency." He added, "The female skater in question also told the police the truth, and the allegation of indecent assault was closed with no charges."
However, he expressed regret about how things continued to unfold afterward. "I feel sorry that we were never able to fully reconcile; I think that shows I was not mature enough," he said. "I hope that I can meet Lim at any time, clear up the misunderstandings, and compete against him on the ice in a positive way."
He also drew a clear line under the allegation of a "deliberate collision" with teammate Park Ji-won, 29, which had sparked a so-called "team kill" controversy, saying, "That is not true."
During the 2023–2024 season, at the International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track Speed Skating World Cup and the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, Hwang committed fouls against Park in back-to-back races, leading to suspicions of a "team kill." Because of those incidents, Park missed out on gold medals in the 1500m and 1000m at the World Championships and also lost his chance at automatic qualification for the national team.
Speaking about the 1500m race at the time, Hwang admitted, "There was a somewhat reckless move," but went on to explain, "I was very eager to win. I thought a gap would open up going into the final corner, so I accelerated to cut inside, but there was not enough space and I collided with Ji-won, so I received a penalty."
He added, "I apologized to Park Ji-won once right after the race and then again when I went to his room," noting, "At the time, he replied, 'Okay.'"
Regarding the second foul in the 1000m race, he said, "Because of what had happened in the 1500m, I approached the race very carefully, but I judged it to be a situation that can occur in the course of competition, so I did not offer a separate apology."
In a return-home interview at the time, Hwang was unable to give a clear answer when asked whether he had apologized directly, while Park said he had "not received an apology." On this, Hwang explained, "Afterward, I conveyed my intention to apologize through my agency, and I was able to meet him in person and apologize," adding, "I am grateful for Ji-won's consideration."
He also stressed, "Not once have I ever gone into a race with the intention of deliberately obstructing or harming someone," and added, "Given the nature of the sport, it is impossible to eliminate contact or collisions entirely, but I will be careful in the future so there is no room for misunderstanding."
Hwang apologized as well for the controversy over his attitude at a press conference following his silver medal in the 1500m at the 2026 Winter Olympics Milano Cortina this past February. At the time, when gold medalist Jens van ’t Wout of the Netherlands was asked about his comment that he had "benchmarked Hwang Dae-heon's strategy," Hwang simply replied, "It was an honor to compete against such an excellent skater," and then fell silent, which led to criticism that he was refusing to answer.
As criticism of his past behavior spread, Hwang wrote on his social networking service (SNS) account on March 2, "My heart grew heavy as I watched situations in which even things that were not true among the many issues were hardening into definitive facts," adding, "I felt that before it was too late, I needed to correct what should be corrected and take an honest look back at where I fell short." This signaled his intention to offer an explanation.
Hwang said, "I do not expect this statement to put an end to the criticism," and reflected, "It is true that I still have many shortcomings, and that my desire to win has at times made me act selfishly." He will not take part in national team trials for the 2026–2027 season, but clarified, "This does not mean I am retiring from the national team," and expressed his ambition by saying, "I want to challenge for the next Olympics that will come after I turn 30."
First selected for the national team in 2016 while still in high school, Hwang has been a key member of Korea's men's short track squad. He has competed at three consecutive Winter Olympics—PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022, and this year's Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo—winning medals at every Olympics he has entered.
hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter