"Winning a Medal and Returning to Korea"... Divided Public Opinion Over 'Chinese Naturalized' Lin Xiaojun

Former South Korean short track speed skater Lim Hyo-jun, who naturalized to China as Lin Xiaojun, congratulated the Chinese short track team on their mixed relay gold medal through his SNS on the 5th.
[Photo by Xiaohongshu capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Public opinion in China is divided over Lin Xiaojun (Korean name Im Hyojun), a former South Korean short track speed skater who naturalized as a Chinese citizen.

Previously, in June 2019, Lin Xiaojun received a one-year suspension from the Korea Skating Union after pulling down the pants of a junior male teammate during national team training at the Jincheon Athlete Village Weight Training Center. When his participation in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics became uncertain, he naturalized as a Chinese citizen.

However, he ultimately did not compete in the Beijing Winter Olympics. According to International Olympic Committee (IOC) regulations, an athlete who changes nationality must wait three years after competing in an international event under their previous nationality before participating in the Olympics.

Since then, Lin Xiaojun has shown signs of assimilating into China. On the 5th, after Chinese short track speed skaters won the gold medal in the mixed relay, he posted a photo on social media of himself wearing a red jumper and giving a thumbs-up.

He wrote in Chinese, "Congratulations on China's first gold medal in short track," and "Let's applaud and support the Olympic heroes."

Additionally, on the 9th, when South Korean skater Hwang Daeheon won the gold medal in the men's 1500m short track event, he posted, "Wait for my return. I will fight shoulder to shoulder with you."

Recently, he conducted a live broadcast on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, with former Chinese short track skater Han Tianyu, during which he remarked, "Honestly, Chinese women seem prettier than Korean women."

Reactions to Lin Xiaojun within China are generally favorable. His Weibo account already has 830,000 followers supporting him.

On the other hand, some question the sincerity of his naturalization. Certain local media outlets reported, "Lin Xiaojun's purpose for naturalizing in China is not simple. His biggest goal is to win a gold medal representing China," adding, "However, there is also a possibility that he may regain South Korean nationality later. Lin Xiaojun hesitated when choosing Chinese nationality."

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