Figure skaters Seo Min-kyu, right, and Shin Ji-a, right, hold up their medals during a news conference at Incheon International Airport on Monday. Seo finished first in the men’s single of the ISU Junior Figure Skating Championships held in Taipei, Taiwan. Shin secured a third straight silver medal at the championship. Yonhap
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Seo Min-kyu’s performance on the ice was akin to that of an artist.
Gliding gracefully to the music of “Notre-Dame de Paris,” the teenage skater embodied the character of Quasimodo, the poignant bell-ringer from Victor Hugo’s 1831 fiction, “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.” With precision and skill, Seo portrayed the hunchbacked figure, who endured a life marked by mockery and fear from the townspeople, ultimately bringing Hugo’s protagonist vividly to life on the ice.
Through a choreographic sequence rich with passion and complexity, Seo depicted Quasimodo’s profound sadness, tragic destiny, and ultimately fulfilled love, all with remarkable artistry and technical sophistication. His performance on the ice masterfully captured the hunchbacked character’s emotional depth, portraying Quasimodo’s journey with intricate movements of hands, arms, steps, and even facial expressions. This level of skill and maturity is even more impressive considering the skater’s tender age of 15.
As an avid figure skating fan, I was elated to learn that the South Korean skater claimed the top spot on the podium at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. Seo delivered flawless performances in both the short and free programs, securing first place in the competition held in Taipei, Taiwan on March 2.
He is the first South Korean male skater to have clinched a gold medal at the ISU Junior World Championships. Additionally, he became only the second South Korean overall to finish first in the event, achieving this feat 18 years after Kim Yuna won the title.
South Korea made a notable mark in this year’s world championships. Another figure skating prodigy, Shin Ji-a, achieved a remarkable feat by securing three consecutive silver medals in the women’s singles. Shin’s captivating performance earned her first place in the short program. However, in the long program, her score fell seven points short of her Japanese rival, Shimada Mao.
Shin and Seo are post-Kim Yuna skaters who were heavily influenced by the legendary figure skater.
Growing up watching Kim dominate world championships and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics with gold medals, they were motivated to start figure skating and dreamed of becoming the next figure skating champions.
Kim’s stunning, unrivaled performances and numerous titles not only inspired kids to hit the ice, but also created a rare figure skating boom in South Korea.
I think Seo has the potential to become South Korea’s next figure skating legend, like Kim. He was born to skate. Watching his performances in the past ISU competitions since his debut in 2022, I feel that he is a talented skater with huge potential to become a top-tier skater.
The way he skates is fascinating enough to convince judges to give him strong GOEs. His GOEs are higher than other skaters, meaning he is capable of masterfully executing all those required elements.
Over the past two years since his debut, Seo has made incredible progress in his performances. In this season, his short program didn’t have a triple axel jump and had one triple axel in the free program. He tried the high-level jump for the first time this year and did quite well.
Prior to the world championships, Seo and his coaches agreed to introduce one triple axel jump in the short program and two in the free program to earn more scores and raise the odds of him winning the title. He successfully adapted to the change. He did it well in the short program, helping him earn his personal best score. His first triple axel in the long program was excellent, but he had to give it up in his second attempt, replacing the planned triple axel with a single axel which caused him to get a deducted score.
It was a sudden decision to include the high-level jump in the program, but the skater adapted to the changed program quite well. His successful triple axel jumps at the world championships show that he is a fast learner and is capable of executing high-level jumps.
Like other skaters, Seo said his dream is winning in the Olympics. Compared to junior world championships, the Olympics is at another level and competition for medals is extremely tough, because the best of the best compete there for a spot on the awards podium.
Currently, there are several top-tier skaters, including Ilia Malinin, who is capable of the quadruple axel and can perform other quadruple jumps effortlessly.
During a news conference at Incheon International Airport on Monday held shortly after he and other skaters arrived back in South Korea, Seo said he is working on quadruple jumps and will train harder as he has enough time to practice ahead of the new season.
Seo is a rare figure skater whose performances are both elegant and powerful. Elegance and power are the two key elements that made Kim Yuna become an Olympic gold medalist. It will be an uphill battle for Seo to become an Olympic medalist, simply because competition there is so intense.
However, given his talent, his hard work, and unwavering passion for figure skating, I think he can make it. He will do it as long as he continues polishing his skills and making progress as he has done over the past two years.
Because of the age limit, Seo is not eligible to compete in the 2026 Milano Winter Olympics. In figure skating, athletes aged 17 or older are eligible to participate. The earliest possible Olympic he can compete in is the 2030 Winter Olympics. With six years ahead, the teen skater has enough time to improve and polish his skills and performance.
I am keeping my fingers crossed for the skating prodigy’s successful journey to the Olympics.
Kang Hyun-kyung is editorial writer of The Korea Times.
