[Olympics] Korean Athletes' Emergency Press Conference... Likely to Protest Suspicious Judging

Hwang Daeheon and Lee Junseo Likely to Express Protest Over Disqualification

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Korean team will hold an emergency press conference on the 8th regarding the controversial decision that prevented Hwang Daeheon (Gangwon Province Office) and Lee Junseo (Korea National Sport University) from advancing to the final in the men's 1000m short track semifinals at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee announced on the 7th, "An emergency press conference led by team leader Yoon Hong-geun will be held at 10 a.m. (local time) on the 8th at the Main Media Center." It is expected that they will express their protest against the disqualifications of Hwang Daeheon and Lee Junseo in the men's 1000m short track semifinals held at the Beijing Capital Indoor Stadium in China that day.

Hwang Daeheon, who competed in the first semifinal heat, crossed the finish line first but was penalized. The reason was that he changed lanes late while moving ahead in the lead. There was no contact that could have caused any issues during this process. There was also no interference with the Chinese athletes' paths. SBS commentator Park Seung-hee pointed out, "It was a play without any interference," adding, "Li Wenlong lost his balance alone, and rather, Hwang Daeheon used his hand while overtaking."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee Junseo, who competed in the second semifinal heat, also faced a similar bitter outcome. He crossed the finish line second but was given a penalty. The referees judged that he committed a foul by changing lanes during contact with Hungary's Liu Shaoang. Lee Junseo, who had a stable race without any significant collisions, quietly left the mixed zone with his head bowed in disappointment.

With the elimination of the two Korean athletes, China secured two more spots in the final. They were able to manage the race advantageously against the Liu brothers, Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang. However, they could not catch up to Liu Shaolin's speed and ultimately relied on home advantage to take the gold (Ren Ziwei) and silver medals (Li Wenlong). After video review, the referees penalized Liu Shaolin twice and issued a yellow card.

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