South Korea competed in the 2017 Asian Winter Games in Sapporo and Obihiro, Japan from 19 to 26 February. The country's goal for the games was a top two finish, and a record medal haul with at least 15 gold medals.
South Korea competed in all five sports (eleven disciplines). The team consisted of 141 athletes.
On 17 February 2017, it was announced that alpine skier Jung Dong-hyun would be the country's flagbearer during the parade of nations at the opening ceremony.
Background
One of the athletes hotels is the APA Hotel in Sapporo. The founder and president of this hotel chain, Toshio Motoya, who is a strong supporter of political and historical view aligned with those of Japan's right wing. For example, Motoya claimed that "Japanese aggression, the Nanking Massacre, and comfort women" were "fabricated stories" or "fictitious". His book is available in each of the guest rooms at the hotel. This created controversy, particularly in China, which caused the games organizers to ask the hotel to take appropriate actions and remove them from guest rooms. The Organizing Committee will gain exclusive access over the hotel from February 12, and an organization committee official said, "we can decide what is removed and placed in the guest rooms so that we don’t place any items that offend athletes, from not only China, but also any other nation”. Eventually both South Korea and China requested that their athletes stay at a different hotel, and the organizing committee obliged by changing their accommodations to the Sapporo Prince Hotel.
Medal summary
Medal table
Medalists
The following South Korean competitors won medals at the Games. In the by discipline sections below, medalists' names are bolded.
Gold medal
Silver medal
Bronze medal
Competitors
The following table lists the South Korean delegation per sport and gender.
Alpine skiing
South Korea sent 10 athletes (5 men and 5 women) to compete in the alpine skiing event. Men
Women
Biathlon
South Korea sent 10 athletes (5 men and 5 women) to compete in the biathlon event.
Men
Women
Mixed
Cross-country skiing
Men
Kim Magnus
Curling
South Korea has entered both a men's and women's teams.
Men's tournament
Kim Soo-hyuk – Skip
Park Jong-duk – Third
Kim Tae-hwan – Second
Nam Yoon-ho – Lead
Yoo Min-hyeon – Alternate
Round-robin
South Korea has a bye in draw 3
Draw 1
Saturday, February 18, 9:00
Draw 2
Saturday, February 18, 18:00
Draw 4
Monday, February 20, 13:30
Draw 5
Tuesday, February 21, 9:00
Draw 6
Tuesday, February 21, 18:00
Semifinals
Wednesday, February 22, 1:30
Bronze medal match
Thursday, February 23, 1:30
Women's tournament
Kim Eun-jung – Skip
Kim Kyeong-ae – Third
Kim Seon-yeong – Second
Kim Yeong-mi – Lead
Round-robin
South Korea has a bye in draw 1
Draw 2
Saturday, February 19, 9:00
Draw 3
Sunday, February 20, 9:00
Draw 4
Monday, February 20, 18:00
Draw 5
Tuesday, February 21, 13:30
Figure skating
Men's single
Women's single
Pairs
Ice dancing
Freestyle skiing
Ice hockey
South Korea has entered teams in both hockey tournaments. The men's team will compete in the top division.
Men's tournament
South Korea was represented by the following 23 athletes:
Matt Dalton (G) Kyehoon Park (G) Sunje Park (G) Lee Donku (D) Oh Hyunho (D) Eric Regan (D) Kim Wonjun (D) Seo Yeongjun (D) Kim Yoon-Hwan (D) Bryan Young (D) Cho Minho (F) Shin Hyungyun (F) Chong Hyun Lee (F) Jeon Jungwoo (F) Jin Kyu Park (F) Shin Sanghoon (F) Shin Sangwoo (F) Kim Ki-Sung (F) Michael Swift (F) Mike Testwuide (F) Kim Sang-Wook (F) Park Woosang (F) Kim Wonjung (F)
Legend
G– Goalie D = Defense F = Forward
Women's tournament
South Korea was represented by the following 20 athletes:
Han Do-hee (G) Shin So-jung (G) Eom Su-yeon (D) Lee Kyou-sun (D) Kim Se-lin (D) Park Ye-eun (D) Cho Mi-hwan (D) Ko Hye-in (F) Caroline Nancy Park (F) Choi Yu-jung (F) Park Jong-ah (F) Choi Ji-yeon (F) Kim Hee-won (F) Lee Eun-ji (F) Park Chae-lin (F) Jo Su-sie (F) Han Soo-jin (F) Lee Min-ji (F) Lee Yeon-jeong (F) Jung Si-yun (F)