Figure skater Kim Yu-na has no connection with a controversial statue of a figure skater in her adopted hometown, her agency here said Thursday.
In a statement, All That Sports said the so-called "Kim Yu-na Statue" in the city of Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, was erected without the skater's knowledge.
Kim, 22, was born in Bucheon, also in Gyeonggi, and was raised in Gunpo, south of Seoul.
The statue, which depicts a female figure skater with outstretched arms and one leg in a spiral position, was erected in November 2010 to commemorate Kim's Olympic gold medal in Vancouver earlier the same year. On Monday of this week, a civic group in Gunpo alleged the design companies that worked on the statue deliberately exaggerated the cost and did not follow the original design, and claimed the 500 million won ($447,000) project was a waste of taxpayers' money.
The allegations prompted Kim's agency to explain that the skater was never even informed the statue was being cast in the beginning.
"All That Sports has never granted the city of Gunpo the use of Kim Yu-na's image or name on any structure," the agency said in a statement. "This particular statue has nothing to do with the skater herself or All That Sports."
The agency explained that it had formally asked Gunpo, in March 2011, to halt its project to open a "Kim Yu-na Street" there, and to never use Kim's image or name in any event.
"We believe this statue was built based on Kim Yu-na's image," the agency added. "We will try to verify whether it has been officially named 'Kim Yu-na Statue.'"
All That Sports called Gunpo "a place where Kim grew up and nurtured her dream of becoming a figure skater," and stressed that Kim reserves a special place in her heart for the city.
It said Kim appreciates the people of Gunpo wanted to celebrate her accomplishments, but recent corruption allegations have tarnished the statue's image.
"We wonder if the statue has any artistic value anymore, given the suspicions of corruption and questions about its aesthetic quality," the agency said. "We hope Gunpo can offer a clear explanation over the allegations."
Kim won the gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics with world-record scores of 78.50 points in short program, 150.06 in free skate, and 228.56 in total. She captured her lone world title in 2009 and also has three Grand Prix Final wins to her credit.
Kim hasn't competed since the 2011 world championships in April, but ended speculation on a possible retirement by announcing in July this year that she would return to competitive skating this year.
She is one of Korea's most recognizable athletes and has long been a major presence in television commercials and magazine spreads.(Yonhap)