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South Korea at the Olympics facts for kids

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South Korea at the
Olympics
Flag of South Korea.svg
IOC code KOR
NOC Korean Olympic Committee
Website  
Medals
Ranked 18th
Gold Silver Bronze Total
142 130 127 399
Summer appearances
  • 1948
  • 1952
  • 1956
  • 1960
  • 1964
  • 1968
  • 1972
  • 1976
  • 1980
  • 1984
  • 1988
  • 1992
  • 1996
  • 2000
  • 2004
  • 2008
  • 2012
  • 2016
  • 2020
Winter appearances
  • 1948
  • 1952
  • 1956
  • 1960
  • 1964
  • 1968
  • 1972
  • 1976
  • 1980
  • 1984
  • 1988
  • 1992
  • 1994
  • 1998
  • 2002
  • 2006
  • 2010
  • 2014
  • 2018
Other related appearances
 Japan (1932–1936)
Korea (2018)

South Korea first joined the Olympic Games in 1948. Since then, the country has sent athletes to almost every Summer Olympic Games. They only missed the 1980 Summer Olympics because they chose not to participate. South Korea has also been part of nearly every Winter Olympic Games since 1948, missing only the 1952 games.

The first Korean athletes to win medals did so at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Sohn Kee-chung won a gold medal, and Nam Sung-yong won a bronze medal in the men's marathon. At that time, Korea was controlled by Japan, so the Olympic committee officially gave these medals to Japan.

South Korea won its first medals as an independent country in 1948. They won their first gold medal in 1976. Overall, South Korean athletes have won 287 medals at the Summer Games. Most of their gold medals are in archery. They have also won 79 medals at the Winter Games, mostly in short track speed skating. South Korea has won more medals in short track speed skating than any other country since it became an Olympic sport in 1992.

The group in charge of Olympic sports for Korea is the Korean Olympic Committee. It was started in 1946 and officially recognized in 1947.

Between 1998 and 2007, during a time of friendly relations, South Korea and North Korea marched together. They did this at the opening ceremonies of the 2000, 2004, and 2006 Olympics. However, they still competed as separate teams in the games.

South Korea as an Olympic Host

South Korea has hosted the Olympic Games two times.

Hosting the Summer Games

Games Host city Dates Nations Participants Events
1988 Summer Olympics Seoul 17 September – 2 October 160 8,391 263

Hosting the Winter Games

Games Host city Dates Nations Participants Events
2018 Winter Olympics Pyeongchang 9 – 25 February 92 2,952 102

Unsuccessful Bids to Host

South Korea also tried to host the Winter Olympics two other times but was not chosen.

Games City Winner of bid
2010 Winter Olympics Pyeongchang Vancouver, Canada
2014 Winter Olympics Pyeongchang Sochi, Russia

South Korea's Olympic Medals

When you see a purple border around a year in the tables below, it means the games were held in South Korea.

Most Successful South Korean Olympians

Here are some of the South Korean athletes who have won the most medals at the Olympic Games.

South Korean volunteer at the Seoul Olympic games
A South Korean volunteer at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
Athlete Sport Type Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
Kim Woo-jin Archery Summer 2016, 2020, 2024 5 0 0 5
Jin Jong-oh Shooting Summer 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 4 2 0 6
Kim Soo-nyung Archery Summer 1988, 1992, 2000 4 1 1 6
Chun Lee-kyung Short track speed skating Winter 1992, 1994, 1998 4 0 1 5
Choi Min-jeong Short track speed skating Winter 2018, 2022 3 2 0 5
Park Sung-hyun Archery Summer 2004, 2008 3 1 0 4
Ahn Hyun-soo Short track speed skating Winter 2002, 2006 3 0 1 4
Ki Bo-bae Archery Summer 2012, 2016 3 0 1 4
Lim Si-hyeon Archery Summer 2024 3 0 0 3
Kim Je-deok Archery Summer 2020, 2024 3 0 0 3
Oh Sang-uk Fencing Summer 2020, 2024 3 0 0 3
Gu Bon-gil Fencing Summer 2012, 2020, 2024 3 0 0 3
An San Archery Summer 2020 3 0 0 3
Jin Sun-yu Short track speed skating Winter 2006 3 0 0 3
Yun Mi-jin Archery Summer 2000, 2004 3 0 0 3
Kim Ki-hoon Short track speed skating Winter 1992, 1994 3 0 0 3

Hosted Olympic Logos and Mottos

1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul

The 1988 Summer Olympics were held in Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. This was the first time the Olympics took place in the country.

The logo for these games was a colorful, rounded symbol that looked like the Olympic rings. The motto for the games was Harmony and Progress.

2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang

The 2018 Winter Olympics brought the Olympic Games back to Korea. They were held in Pyeongchang.

PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics
The official logo of the 2018 Winter Olympics

The logo for these games had five intertwined wings. These wings represented the five continents of the world: Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The motto for the games was Passion. Connected.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Corea del Sur en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños

  • South Korea at the Paralympics
  • List of flag bearers for South Korea at the Olympics
  • Category:Olympic competitors for South Korea
  • South Korea at the Asian Games
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