By Honorary Reporter Audrey Boois from South Africa

Skateboarder Kang Juni on Sept. 27 won Korea's first gold medal in men's street skateboarding at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan.

Kang took up skateboarding at age 8 at his hometown Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. He then made the national team in 2021 and trained for the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, but got injured and thus missed the competition. He did, however, win the 2024 Tampa Am in Tampa, Florida, as the first Korean to do so and earned the silver medal in his X Games debut last year in Osaka, Japan, as the first Korean to medal in the tourney.

The following are excerpts from an email interview from Oct. 1-26 with Kang.

How did you get into skateboarding and decide on it as a career?

My best friend once brought a skateboard to the playground and I asked to try it. After borrowing his board a few times, I realized how much fun it was so I got started. I decided to seriously pursue skateboarding as a career after moving to Seoul in sixth grade.

How did it feel to win the gold at your first Asian Games?

I was really nervous in my Asian Games debut, but just having the opportunity to compete on such a big stage was a huge honor. Winning the gold medal has felt like a new beginning -- it reminds me to stay humble, never grow complacent and continue practicing hard, just as I always have.

How would you describe your style and what do you like most about it?

I like to skate with a relaxed, effortless style. I also enjoy challenging myself with unusual and technical tricks that most people don't typically do. What I enjoy most is the process of learning and developing new tricks. I feel incredibly rewarded when I finally land a trick after working so hard on it.

What are your goals and hopes for skateboarding in Korea?

One of my biggest goals is to compete at the Olympics and show everything on that stage. I also want to keep achieving strong results at competitions around the world.

As for the future of skateboarding in Korea, I'd love to see it grow far more popular and for more people to discover how amazing and fun it is.

ljyhwa@korea.kr

*This article was written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.