The international season began last week for the world’s best archers – but while many were competing in the Hyundai Archery World Cup season opener in Antalya, Korea’s athletes remained at home.
In the final stage of the nation’s typically gruelling trials, a tournament in Gwangju decided which members of the Korean squad would be competing internationally in 2022. After 1000s upon 1000s of arrows and months of selections, it is perhaps the lack of change in the roster that is most surprising.
Last year’s recurve men’s line-up – Olympic team champions Oh Jin Hyek, Kim Woojin and Kim Je Deok – will all return for the upcoming season and be joined by 2014 Youth Olympic Champion Lee Woo Seok.
“As usual, these trials were a competition where I was able to feel the strength of Korean archery,” said Oh, the 40-year-old London 2012 Olympic Champion who has postponed his competitive retirement yet again.
Olympic Champion An San and world record holder Kang Chae Young are also back, as is the decorated Choi Misun.
The final recurve women’s trials weren’t won by any of those big names, though – but 21-year-old Lee Gahyun, who is graduating to the senior line-up after previously representing Korea at youth internationals.
Archers compete during Korean team selections in Gwangju.
The trials decided the team for the Hyundai Archery World Cup and Asian Games.
Olympic Champion An San returns to the squad in 2022.
Lee Gahyun topped the recurve women’s leaderboard and will make her senior debut in 2022.
The Korean team for this season ahead of a press conference.
Kim Je Deok, who is still in high school, is on the team for a second consecutive year.
Oh Jin Hyek and Choi Misun share a handshake at the end of trials.
Kim Jongho, Yang Jaewon, Choi Yonghee, Kang Dong Hyun, Kim Yunhee, Song Yun Soo, So Chaewon and Oh Yoohyun comprise the compound line-up.
“Four years have passed and now I am challenging the Asian Games again,” said Jongho. “I will work hard to prepare to show that not only Korea’s recurve archers can be the best in the world, but that our compound archers be the best, too.”
The team will debut at the second stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup – taking place at home on the same field as these trials in Gwangju – next month. It will be the first time Korea competes on the international tour since late 2019.
They will also compete in Hangzhou in September at the Asian Games, the continent’s largest event outside of the Olympics.
Korea won four of the eight available gold medals at the last edition held in Jakarta in 2018, led by Kim Woojin’s individual title in the recurve men’s event. The next Asian Games will offer 10 medals for the first time, with full recurve and compound event programmes.
Korean head coach Kim Seong Hoon said the team “would prepare thoroughly” and look to fill the gaps in Korea’s winning “with a sense of responsibility and a sense of purpose”.
The international season continues with the second stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup on 16-22 May in Gwangju, Korea.
Photos courtesy Korean archery association.
Korean team for 2022
As of the results of trials in April 2022. Professional team in brackets.
Recurve men
- Kim Woojin (Chungju City)
- Kim Je Deok (Gyungbuk II High School)
- Oh Jin Hyek (Hyundai Steel)
- Lee Woo Seok (Kolon X10 Boys)
Recurve women
- Lee Gahyun (Daejeon City)
- Kang Chae Young (Hyundai Mobis)
- An San (Gwangju Women’s University)
- Choi Misun (Suncheon City)
Compound men
- Kim Jongho (Hyundai Steel)
- Yang Jaewon (Ulsan District)
- Choi Yonghee (Hyundai Steel)
- Kang Dong Hyun (Daegu City)
Compound women
- Kim Yunhee (Hyundai Mobis)
- Song Yun Soo (Hyundai Mobis)
- So Chaewon (Hyundai Mobis)
- Oh Yoohyun (Jeonbuk Province)
