'Death Hoax' Short Track Skater Kim Geon-woo Issues 'Survival Report' Directly... "I Did Not Post That SNS Message" — Authorities Investigating Circumstances of False Post

*This content was translated by AI.

Former short track national team member Kim Geon-woo (28) took direct action to deny death rumors that had erupted on his social media (SNS).

Early on the 23rd, a memorial post stating that he had died appeared on Kim Geon-woo's Instagram account. Based on this, numerous reports of his death were published and fans expressed their condolences, but later acquaintances and ice sports officials confirmed he was alive, sparking widespread confusion.

As the controversy grew, Kim Geon-woo posted a lengthy statement directly at around 4:30 p.m. that same day, clarifying that the death rumors were unfounded. He said, "I sincerely apologize for causing confusion and concern to many people due to this incident," and drew a clear line by stating, "The post in question was neither written nor posted by me; it appeared without my knowledge or consent."

He also provided specific details regarding the circumstances of not having posted the message. Kim Geon-woo explained, "At the time the post was published, I was unable to access the account normally," and added, "I was unaware that the post had been made until I confirmed related posts late in the day through contact from those around me."

The exact cause, including whether the account was hacked or who posted the message, is currently under investigation. He stated, "We are checking why the account could not be accessed and how the post came to be published," and added, "Once the facts are clearly established, we will provide further updates. We kindly ask for your broad understanding to prevent speculation from spreading or being reproduced."

Born in 1998, Kim Geon-woo competed under the name 'Kim Han-ul' before changing his name. He first earned the national team emblem during high school and rose to become a key figure in South Korean short track by ranking first in the ISU World Cup 1500m standings and second overall in the 2018–2019 season.

In the 2023–2024 ISU World Cup, he won the men's 1000m at the first event and the men's 1500m at the second and third events. At the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games, he competed as a member of the mixed 2000m relay team and won a gold medal.

Subsequently, in June, he announced his retirement from active competition, telling fans, "I am now ready to let go of short track, which has been my entire life since childhood."

First, I sincerely apologize for causing confusion and concern to many people due to this incident.

At the time the problematic post was published, I was unable to access my Instagram account normally. Because I could not access the account, I was completely unaware that the post had been made at that time, and only later confirmed through contact from those around me that related posts had been published.

The post was neither written nor posted by me; it was published on the account without my knowledge or consent. We are currently investigating why the account could not be accessed normally and how the post came to be published.

In this process, the content of the post became known before sufficient verification of the facts, causing worry and confusion for many people. I take this very seriously.

However, since we are still in the process of verifying account access and the circumstances of the posting, I believe it is more appropriate to wait until the facts are clearly established before providing accurate information, rather than making definitive statements based on unconfirmed details.

We are currently carrying out necessary verification and taking appropriate measures.

Once again, I sincerely apologize to everyone who was surprised and worried by this incident. In addition, we kindly ask for your broad understanding until the exact facts are confirmed, so that unverified information or speculation does not spread or get reproduced.

Thank you.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.