New Agency Reigniting Talks on Skater’s Future

By Yoon Chul

Staff Reporter

Figure skating queen Kim Yu-na has finally set up her own agency.

The new company, AT (All That) Sports, was established on paper on April 20 and Kim's mother, Park Mee-hee, is the CEO with Kim Yu-na holding a majority share of the stocks, Lee Sang-hun, a legal representative of local law firm LeeKim&Partners, told The Korea Times, Tuesday.

AT Sports will be in charge of Kim's management and also plans to extend its business to organizing ice shows featuring Kim and nurturing future sport stars.

Kim's contract with IB Sports expires at the end of this month. The Vancouver gold medalist is set to move to AT Sports.

``As IB Sports ― Kim's former agency ― works in various areas, there were limits in their focusing on Kim,'' Park was quoted as saying. ``After judging the overall situation, I was led to the conclusion that it's better off for an independent corporation to manage my daughter directly.''

The establishment of the new agency is also expected to mitigate prevailing rumors that she will retire soon and only appear in ice shows as a professional skater.

Right after the 19-year-old won the hearts of the whole audience at the Pacific Coliseum with seamless performances at the Winter Games, the rumors on her retirement started to emerge.

They spread further as she failed to live up to her Olympic perfection to the World Championships in Turin, Italy, giving up the top spot to her archrival Mao Asada of Japan, after a 23.06-point margin of victory in Vancouver.

Now, predictions are likely to lean towards Kim's continuing pursuit of her competitive career, as the operation of the new company will be impossible without Kim's fame maintained by entering the tournaments of the International Skating Union.

So far, Kim has shot more than a dozen of commercials, proof of her continued value in the market, formed through her great performances that drew many Koreans to her fan base.

But the question still lingers whether her marketing value will continue if she halts her exposure to the media, as it is likely to decide the fate of the newly launched company.

Lee, Kim's legal representative, said that the agency doesn't have any plans to sign other athletes until the company gets on its feet and for now will only focus on Kim's future, implying that the skater will be the only profit source for AT Sports.

Earlier, Kim said that she would announce the decision on her next step after moving to Toronto late next month.

피겨 여왕 김연아 회사 차려

피겨스케이팅 여왕 김연아가 드디어 자신의 회사를 차렸다.

새로운 이 에이전시 AT Sports사는 김연아의 어머니 박미희씨가 최고경영자로 등록돼있고 김연아가 대주주로 4월 20일 설립됐다.

김선수가 소속해있던 전 IB Sports 에이전시에선 여러 분야에 관여하고 있어 김선수에게만 집중할 수 없었다고 밝혔다. 이 회사는 우선 김연아에게만 집중하기로 하고 김 선수 같은 다른 스포츠 스타들과 아이스 쇼 같은 것을 계획할 예정이다.

이 회사는 이제 김선수의 수입에만 의존해야 됨으로써 김이 계속해서 선수생활 할 것이라고 예상된다.