![“It means working harder to develop Korean sports.” [이종세의 스포츠 코너]](https://i0.wp.com/pimg.mk.co.kr/news/cms/202411/01/news-p.v1.20240801.96b8ed979c6b483ebb4fc36c0d83d671_P1.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1 "“It means working harder to develop Korean sports.” [이종세의 스포츠 코너]")
Hyeong-ju Ha, selected as a 2024 Sports Hero, auditor of the Sports Corporation
1984 LA Olympics, 1986 Asian Games Judo Gold Medal
The advantage of an open field of view and broad and amicable interpersonal relationships
“I am so happy to have been selected as a ‘Sports Hero’, the highest honor for an athlete. “I will do my best in my duties, remembering the meaning of working harder for the development of Korean sports.”
Ha Hyeong-joo (62), executive auditor of the Seoul Olympic Games Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, who was selected as the ‘2024 Korean Sports Hero’ announced by the Korea Sports Council (Chairman Lee Ki-heung) on October 30, expressed his thoughts in a calm tone in a phone interview with the author on November 1. revealed.
news/cms/202411/01/news-p.v1.20230817.51317a631f244978a8b2f69ce77b586a_R.png" data-width="640" data-height="427" /> Enlarge photo ‘Judo hero’ Standing Auditor Ha Hyeong-joo (left) is explaining current issues to the author at an exclusive interview with MK Sports in August 2023. Photo = Provided by the Seoul Olympic Commemorative Sports Promotion Foundation
Since 2011, the Korea Sports Council has been selecting people who have contributed to the development of Korean sports and inducting them into the Sports Heroes Hall of Fame. Candidates are recommended from various fields, including sports organizations and reporters, and the three final candidates are selected, and the winners are determined by referring to the results of the performance evaluation and public approval survey.
“Both finalists are excellent athletes.”
The following is a Q&A with Executive Auditor Ha Hyeong-joo.
– First of all, congratulations on being selected as Korea’s sports hero. Did you have any expectations?
“I was in doubt because all of the final candidates were strong people. Senior Lee Hong-bok (90), Korea’s first gold medalist at the Asian Games, is a sports veteran who first flew the Korean flag in the Tokyo sky by winning two cycling titles at the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games. It must have been even more thrilling because it had only been about 10 years since liberation from Japanese colonial rule. Shim Kwon-ho (51) is also a great athlete who won gold medals in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In particular, junior Shim was a ‘little giant’ who swept the two weight classes, 48 kg and 52 kg, at the World Championships and Asian Games. To be honest, I never thought it would be difficult for me.”
news/cms/202411/01/news-p.v1.20240801.96b8ed979c6b483ebb4fc36c0d83d671_R.jpg" data-width="600" data-height="891" /> Enlarge photo Ha Hyeong-joo, gold medalist in judo -95kg at the 23rd Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 1984. Photo = Korean Sports Council’s ‘Sports One’ June 2015 issue
Ha, who also served as the flag bearer for the Korean team and won Korea’s first Olympic judo gold medal at the 1984 LA Olympics, was defeated by Japan’s Hitoshi Sugai in a round of misses in the finals of the 1985 World Judo Championships (Seoul). It was a bitter result as they were unable to suppress their overflowing confidence and rushed to attack, only to be counterattacked.
However, in the finals of the 1986 Seoul Asian Games, he clashed again with Sugai, and after a careful game, he put everything on the line and avenged his defeat a year ago.
“I will take good care of seniors Son Ki-jeong, Kim Seong-jip, and Yang Jeong-mo.”
– Do you have any special feelings about becoming the first judo player to be inducted into the Korea Sports Heroes Hall of Fame?
“I am thrilled to be the first judoist to be inducted into the Sports Heroes Hall of Fame. So that we can enshrine in the Sports Heroes Hall of Fame the heroes of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Son Ki-jeong, senior Yang Jeong-mo, who won the first Olympic gold medal after liberation at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, and village chief Kim Seong-jip, who cared for us like his children at the Taereung Athletes’ Village when he was an athlete. “I’m just honored.”
Ha Gam-sa, who was famous for her fierce leg kicks, co-ignited the torch with North Korean women’s judo Olympic gold medalist Gye Soon-hee at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Busan Asian Games, and entered holding the Taegeukgi along with five others, including marathoner Hwang Young-jo, at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. He is called a legend of Korean sports.
Cho Hyeon-jae is likely to succeed the current chairman of the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation.
Auditor Ha is well-known for his clear perspective and broad, amicable interpersonal relationships. On the 26th, Auditor Ha participated in the ‘2024 Retired Athletes’ Harmony Festival’ hosted by the Korean Athletes’ Association (Chairman Jin Soo-hak) at Taereung Athletes’ Village, and participated in various programs such as tug-of-war and ball throwing with about 300 senior athletes, helping members become members. He seemed to be making an effort to communicate with athletes by drinking makgeolli with them.
In 2021, both one son and one daughter got married and even had grandchildren. A devout Catholic, his baptismal name was Michael. His nickname is ‘Wangbal’. His foot size is 330 mm.
In August of last year, Auditor Ha resigned from his alma mater, Dong-A University in Busan, where he had served as a professor for 37 years, and took over as standing auditor of the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation. His three-year term ended in February, but a successor has not been appointed, so Hyunjae Cho (64) is still serving as chairman of the board. He is also being discussed as a potential successor to the 13th Chairman of the Board.
Lee Jong-se (General Vice President of the Korean Journalists Association, former Sports Manager of the Dong-A Ilbo)
