Seongnam City has renewed its contract with Kim Gil-li, a member of the national short track team and the Seongnam City Hall Workplace Sports Team Ice Skating Team. This renewal is a measure to support Kim Gil-li to continue Seongnam City’s reputation until 2026 and to focus on preparing for the Harbin Winter Asian Games and the Milan Winter Olympics.
 [Korean Today] Panoramic view of Seongnam City Hall © Reporter Na-yeon Kim |
Seongnam City announced on August 27 that it had signed a new contract with national short track speed skating team member Kim Gil-li. The contract renewal ceremony was held at 10:00 AM that day in the first conference room of Seongnam City Hall with Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin, Kim Gil-li, and ice skating team coach Kim Seon-tae in attendance.
Kim Gil-li was born in 2004 and is 20 years old this year. She joined the Seongnam City Hall Workplace Sports Team in January 2023 and has been active as a member of the South Korean national short track team. This contract renewal is valid for two years from January 2024 to December 2026, and the annual salary was decided undisclosed through mutual agreement.
Kim Gil-li has stood out on the world short track stage with outstanding performances during the 2023-24 season since joining the Seongnam City Hall ice skating team. He has won a total of eight gold medals (three in the 1000m, four in the 1500m, and one in the 3000m relay) in six World Cup series, and has achieved the world’s top ranking. In particular, she won the gold medal in the women’s 1500m final at the 2024 International Skating Union (ISU) World Short Track Speed Skating Championships held in Rotterdam, Netherlands in March with a time of 2 minutes 21.192 seconds, earning the honor of the Crystal Globe.
Through this renewal, Seongnam City plans to spare no effort in actively supporting Kim Gil-li so that she can continue to bring fame to Seongnam City and Korea in future international competitions. In particular, we plan to provide systematic support so that Kim Gil-li can maintain the best condition and prepare for the Harbin Winter Asian Games to be held in February next year and the Milan Winter Olympics in 2026.
Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin said, “I hope that Kim Gil-li will continue the reputation of Seongnam City, the ‘short track capital of the Republic of Korea’ by going from Harbin to Milan,” and added, “We will not spare any support necessary to ensure that she can compete in the competition in the best condition.”
The Seongnam City Hall Workplace Sports Team Ice Skating Team consists of a total of 11 players, including Kim Gil-ri, Beijing Winter Olympics gold medalist Choi Min-jeong, silver medalist Lee Jun-seo, and Kim Geon-hee, who was selected as a national team member for the 2024-25 season. They are expected to continue to play an active role on the international stage as Seongnam City’s representative players and raise the city’s sports reputation.
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