"Vice Minister's Strength Is Too Much"…Jang Mirae Uses 'Hand Technique' on Heo Mimi While Taking Group Photo

The South Korean delegation, which achieved 8th place overall with 13 gold, 9 silver, and 10 bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has returned home in triumph. On this day, Yoon In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Jang Mi-ran, Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Lee Ki-heung, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, Jung Kang-sun, head of the Olympic delegation, and Jang Jae-geun, head of the athletes' village, welcomed the athletes at the arrival hall of Incheon International Airport Terminal 2. At that moment, Vice Minister Jang was seen attentively taking care of athlete Heo Mimi.

On the 14th, a post titled "Moon Chae-buk, 2nd Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Pulling Heo Mimi's Arm" was uploaded on an online community. The post shared a video of about 50 athletes from seven sports, including modern pentathlon, weightlifting, and athletics, along with executives of the Korean Sports Council, returning through Incheon International Airport the previous day.
[Photo by Yonhap News TV]

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On the 14th, a post titled "Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Jang Mi-ran pulling Heo Mimi's arm" was uploaded on an online community. The post shared a video of about 50 members of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee executives and athletes from seven sports including modern pentathlon, weightlifting, and athletics returning home through Incheon International Airport the previous day. In the video, fencers Koo Bon-gil, shooters Yang Ji-in, and judokas Heo Mimi, Kim Min-jong, and Lee Jun-hwan, who had returned earlier, also came to the airport to congratulate their teammates. They lined up to take a group photo. At that moment, Vice Minister Jang noticed Heo Mimi standing behind Minister Yoon and immediately grabbed Heo Mimi’s arm and pulled her forward.

On the 14th, a post titled "Moon Chae-buk Vice Minister Jang Mi-ran Pulling Hur Mimi's Arm" was uploaded on an online community. The post shared a video of about 50 members of the Korean Sports & Olympic Committee executives and athletes from seven sports including modern pentathlon, weightlifting, and athletics returning through Incheon International Airport the previous day.
[Photo by Yonhap News TV]

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It appears that Vice Minister Jang, noticing that Heo Mimi is relatively short, wanted to make sure she was well captured by the camera and could receive attention. Heo Mimi won a silver medal in the women's under 57kg judo category and a bronze medal in the mixed team event at this competition. Heo Mimi seemed momentarily surprised but then came forward, posed, and smiled. Netizens reacted to Vice Minister Jang’s caring gesture by saying, "Both of them look likable, it’s nice to see," "The vice minister knows that the athletes suffer the most," "I wonder if Heo Mimi knows who Jang Mi-ran is," and "Heo Mimi must have thought, ‘Why is the vice minister pulling so hard?’" Earlier, on the 30th of last month, Vice Minister Jang had also visited the Paris Olympic athletes' village in France to encourage Heo Mimi.

Jang Mi-ran, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, visited the Olympic Village in Paris, France, on the 30th (local time) and took a commemorative photo while encouraging national team member Heo Mi-mi, who won the silver medal in the women's judo 57kg category.
[Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

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Meanwhile, Heo Mimi, a third-generation Korean-Japanese born to a Korean father and Japanese mother, learned judo in Japan. She grew into a national-level athlete during middle school and was considered Japan’s most promising judo prospect. However, in 2022, following her grandmother’s will, she gave up her Japanese citizenship and acquired Korean nationality. Heo Mimi joined the Gyeongbuk Sports Council judo team, where fellow Korean-Japanese athlete Kim Ji-soo is also a member. During this process, it was discovered that her grandfather, Heo Mu-bu, is the great-grandson of the independence activist Heo Seok.

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