Korean archery team members will get generous cash awards
South Korean archer An San, who won three gold medals in the Tokyo Olympics this summer, will receive generous cash awards from the Korea Archery Association (KAA) and Hyundai Motor.
The KAA confirmed on Aug. 13 that it will offer a total of 700 million won ($600,000) to the 20-year-old female archer, who has become the first Korean to win three gold medals at a single Summer Olympics.
Five other archery gold medalists of Korea will also receive cash bonuses of either 200 million won ($170,000) or 400 million won ($340,000) in addition to electric cars of Hyundai Motor.
The six players, including An, can choose an electric vehicle among the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6. Otherwise, they also can opt for an SUV model of the Genesis GV70. Kia is Hyundai’s sister firm, while Genesis is its premium brand.
Hyundai has sponsored the Korean archery team for 37 years. In particular, Hyundai Motor chief Chung Eui-sun has led the KAA as its chairman since 2005.
“The feats of the Korean archery team pleased all Korean people. Other countries also praised them,” Chung said in an online welcoming ceremony for the Korean archery team on Aug. 10.
“Hyundai Motor and I will do our utmost efforts to support the Korean archery team so that they can continue to make history,” he said.
In a video message, World Archery Federation President Ugur Erdener also said that the Korean archery team’s success in Tokyo was a monumental achievement.
Archery debuted at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984. Since then, Koreans have harvested 27 golds, nine silvers, and seven bronzes, which is almost 70 percent of the entire medals in the sport.
During this summer, the Korean team won four golds in archery out of five. Overall, the country chalked up the worst results in decades with six gold medals, though.
Korea originally hoped to join the top 10 list but ended up at the 16th position.