Ahn Hyun-soo Apologizes for Wife's Shopping Mall 'Taiwan' Label Controversy, Affirms Support for "One China" Principle

Ahn Hyun-soo and his wife Woo Na-ri. / Photo by Ahn Hyun-soo Instagram capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Viktor An (Russian name), who served as a technical coach for the Chinese short track speed skating team, apologized to the Chinese people regarding the labeling of Taiwan as a country on the cosmetics company's website operated by his spouse.

On the 14th, An Hyun-soo posted on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, "Due to negligence in managing my family's website, an error occurred in the default settings," adding, "It has now been restored, and I apologize to everyone for this mistake."

He continued, "I hurt you all, and I am truly sorry. I had a very enjoyable time while coaching in China and have always been grateful for the support from many short track fans and netizens."

Finally, he stated, "My family and I consistently support the 'One China' principle. I ask for your understanding."

Previously, on the cosmetics company's website operated by An's wife, Woo Na-ri, Taiwan was listed alongside other countries in the nationality selection section for foreign member registration. This led to backlash from Chinese netizens, prompting the apology.

The 'One China' principle means that China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and others are inseparable as one, and that the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government. It is the fundamental principle for China's handling of the Taiwan issue.

Meanwhile, An Hyun-soo, who was a member of the South Korean short track team, renounced his Korean nationality and acquired Russian nationality in 2011 after his team disbanded. He competed as a Russian athlete at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, winning three gold medals. He was unable to participate in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics due to Russia's doping scandal.

Afterwards, he received a call from China and joined the Chinese short track team as a coach under Director Kim Sun-tae in 2020. It was reported that his contract with China expired last month, and he has returned to Korea.

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