Olympic champion Chang Hye-jin transitions to career at state-run building developer

Gold medal-winning archer Chang Hye-jin works at Korea Land & Housing Corp.'s (LH) Seoul regional division in this video clip uploaded on the state-run company's YouTube channel, July 31. Captured from LH's YouTube channel

Chang Hye-jin, who won two gold medals in the women’s individual and team archery events at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, has gained attention after Korea Land & Housing Corp. (LH) released a video showing the Olympic champion at work in one of their state-run offices.

“After joining LH as an archer in 2010, I worked as an athlete until August 2022,” Chang said in the video clip uploaded to the government-owned building developer’s YouTube channel, July 31.

“After childbirth and maternity leave, I started working at LH’s Seoul regional division on April 1.”

The two-time Olympic gold medalist serves as a deputy of the downtown area renewal planning team.

Her career path has surprised many sports fans, as most medalists in Korea choose to become coaches, although LH and other companies running sports teams allow their athletes to continue working for them after retiring from competition.

“The repetition of exercising, sleeping and eating was my daily routine when I was an athlete, so I was so happy when I drank coffee and took a walk with my colleagues after lunch,” she said.

“I had once thought that my dream came true, but everything has become the same old as time passed.”

The former archer added that she has been more loyal to her company in recent days, compared to when she competed as a Korean national team member.

Her colleagues in the video clip recognized her kindness and leadership, saying that she is energetic especially when they dine out together.

Chang Hye-jin fires an arrow at the Sambadrome venue during the final of the women's individual archery event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Brazil in this Aug. 11, 2016 photo. Joint Press Corps

The 37-year-old was first introduced to archery at the age of 11.

After participating in her first national tournament two years later, she made her international debut in 2008.

She clinched two gold medals in her first Olympic competition in 2016, defeating her teammate Ki Bo-bae, the winner of the women’s individual and team archery events at the 2012 London Olympics.

Chang also served as a commentator of broadcaster MBC during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics.