HS Hyosung Advanced Materials provides carbon fiber prosthetic for para-cyclist

HS Hyosung Vice Chairman Cho Hyun-sang, right, provides a carbon-fiber prosthetic leg to Park Chan-jong of Korea’s national para-cycling team at the company’s headquarters in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of HS Hyosung

HS Hyosung Advanced Materials said Wednesday it has provided a carbon fiber prosthetic leg to Park Chan-jong of Korea’s national para cycling team.

HS Hyosung Vice Chairman Cho Hyun-sang personally delivered the prosthetic leg to Park Tuesday.

Park’s motto — “My leg has no limits” — reflects the company’s philosophy of creating value by challenging the impossible, Cho said. He added that the company’s carbon fiber technology will support Park’s challenge and help him bring honor to Korea on the international stage.

HS Hyosung Advanced Materials will continue to pursue value-driven management that contributes to the health and prosperity of society, Cho added.

Park is a Korean para-cyclist who lost his left leg in a traffic accident in 2022. He earned a spot on the national team just three years later, demonstrating remarkable resilience and determination.

He is currently training with the goal of winning a gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games.

The metal prosthetic leg Park previously used often caused significant physical strain during long-distance cycling due to its weight. After learning of the difficulty, HS Hyosung Advanced Materials supported the development of a specialized carbon fiber prosthetic leg to help improve his performance.

Carbon fiber is often referred to as a “dream material” because it is about one-quarter the weight of steel while offering 10 times the strength and seven times the elasticity.

The company worked with Jeonbuk National University Hospital — a longtime partner in carbon materials technology development and evaluation — to produce the prosthetic leg.

The new prosthetic combines the company’s high-strength, high-elasticity carbon fiber with a high-toughness, non-toxic prepreg resin developed by its composite materials research team, along with molding and processing technologies from the medical device development center. The design significantly reduces weight while maintaining durability.

HS Hyosung Advanced Materials selected Park as an official ambassador last year and has continued to support him. The company said it plans to provide further assistance to help him achieve strong results in international competitions.