[Sportschosun reporter Park A-ram] News of the death of Kim Gun-woo, 28, a former short-track speed skating national team member, reported on the morning of the 23rd has been confirmed as false and based on incorrect information.
Kim Gun-woo wrote on his Instagram on the 23rd, "First of all, I sincerely apologize for causing confusion and concern to so many people because of this incident." He personally came forward to clarify the death report that circulated that morning.
He explained that he was unable to access the account normally when the problematic post was uploaded. Because he could not access the account, he was unaware that the post had been published and only learned of the matter later after receiving messages from people around him.
Kim Gun-woo made clear, "The post in question was not written or uploaded by me, and it was published on my account without my knowledge." He added, "We are currently checking why I was unable to access the account normally and how the post came to be published."
He also shared his feelings about the confusion that grew as the post's contents became known before the facts had been verified. He wrote, "I take seriously the fact that many people were left worried and confused as the contents of the post became known before the facts had been sufficiently confirmed."
However, he did not provide specific details about the cause of the account access issue or who uploaded the post. Since the exact circumstances are still being investigated, he indicated that he would not jump to conclusions and would provide another update once the facts become clear.
Kim Gun-woo apologized again to those who may have been shocked and worried, saying, "We are taking the necessary steps to verify the situation and address the matter." He concluded, "Until the facts are confirmed, I ask for your generous understanding so that unverified information and speculation are not amplified or reproduced."
Earlier that day, news of Kim Gun-woo's death spread after a post resembling a death announcement was uploaded to the social media account of the former short-track speed skating national team member. Based on the post, reports followed claiming that Kim Gun-woo had died at the age of 28.
Kim Gun-woo announced his retirement from active competition last June. Selected for the national team while he was in high school, he ranked first in the 1,500-meter event and second overall at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup during the 2018–19 season. He later won gold medals at the World Cup and the Asian Winter Games in Harbin.
tokkig@sportschosun.com
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This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
