South Korean former figure skater Yuna Kim is the champion of 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, silver medalist in ladies’ singles in Sochi, Russia, champion of the Four Continents, three-time champion in Grand Prix Final and many more.
If Rachel Miyung Joo, in Travelling Ladies, was to feature Se Ri Pak as the chief model to exemplify Korean athletes’ role in glorifying Koreanness and nationalizing Korea globally in the late 1990s, Yuna Kim is certainly the new shining star of Korea beginning from the year of 2010. From the moment she stood on the international stage of 2010 Winter Olymics and won the medal, she became more than an athlete. In a similar way as Se Ri Pak, she became the ambassador of Korea. Her championship in a world wide competition secured Korea’s status in the international market.
Korean fans adore her and refer to her as “Queen Yuna,” not solely because they all appreciate her figure skating skills. What they truly fancyher for is the Korean pride they derive through her championship in the global stage. As Joo quotes in Travelling Ladies, “In affective economies, emotions do things, and they align individuals with communities—or boldly space with social space—through the very intensity of their attachments” (Ahmed 2004). In front of millions of international viewers along with contestants from more than 30 other countries, she showcased Korea’s female elegance and Korea’s diligent work ethic. Korean fans’ emotional attachment to her originates from this eventual recognition of their Korean traits and the resulting acquisition of national pride. Se Ri Pak and many other Korean athletes have opened up gates for this emotional attachment to form. In 2010, Yuna just opened another.
Korea’s media industry and government further idolize her as the ambassador of Korea. According to Forbes, Yuna Kim is the seventh highest paid female athlete in the world. She became the face of leading brands such as Nike, Hyundai, Korean Air and Kookmin Bank. These brands, especially, are Korea’s influential brands that target not only Koreans themselves but also attain significant levels of global exposure. On top of these, perhaps one of the greatest milestones in her career was her position as the official ambassador for the 2018 PyeongChang games. The title just further shows how much Korea as a nation values her. Her frequent attendance and exposure on the mentioned media platforms idolize her as a pure, angelic Korean guardian that holds an important mission to foster Korea’s cultural and economic growth.
Today, Yuna Kim is a name familiar to many people around the world and not just Koreans.
News Source: https://www.bustle.com/p/yuna-kims-net-worth-speaks-to-just-how-idolized-the-ex-skater-is-8175944
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