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Kim Jae-youl elected ISU president

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By Baek Byung-yeul
  • Published Jun 10, 2022 5:13 pm KST
  • Updated Jun 11, 2022 12:06 pm KST

Kim Jae-youl, president of the International Skating Union / Courtesy of Korea Skating Union

By Baek Byung-yeul

Former Korea Skating Union (KSU) president and International Skating Union (ISU) council member Kim Jae-youl has become the first non-European president in the ISU's 130-year history, the KSU said Friday.

Kim was elected president of ISU on June 10 at the ISU Congress taking place in Phuket, Thailand.

Kim was elected in the first round of voting by winning an overwhelming majority of 77 votes, out of 119 possible votes cast by 85 member federations from 68 countries. The other candidates for the presidency were Patricia St. Peter (U.S.), Susanna Rahkamo (Finland) and Slobodan Delic (Serbia).

Kim's election marks a milestone in the long history of the ISU, which was established in 1892. Eleven presidents have served the skating body over 130 years, all hailing from Europe until now. The election results reflect the ISU embracing greater diversity, for the organization and skating to reach new fans, athletes and markets around the world.

“Skating was the first Winter Olympic sport that Koreans took part in, and since then, we've seen amazing progress, producing world and Olympic champions,” Kim said. “Many ordinary Koreans are fans of skating, both figure and speed. My hope is that more people around the world will also be able to experience and participate in winter sports through skating. As president of the ISU, I will work to promote skating to reach more new fans and markets around the world.”

KSU President Yoon Hong-geun said, “Kim is the right person to introduce change and innovation at the ISU and promote growth. His diverse experience in Korean and international sports organizations, as well as his business background, led to his successful election.”

Previously, Kim had been president of the KSU, executive vice president of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games Organizing Committee, vice president of the Korea Olympic Committee and a member of the IOC Coordination Commission for the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games. He has been on the ISU council since 2016.