SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Kim Yu-na sits in a room among the sleek skyscrapers of southern Seoul, overlooking a green oasis where kings and queens were laid to rest centuries ago but focussing her thoughts on unseen, distant peaks.
The Olympic figure skating gold medalist is considered something of a living treasure in South Korea.
While soccer player Park Ji-sung was described as ‘The King of Korea’ when his Manchester United teammates saw for themselves the reception he received in Seoul in 2009, there was no such belated revelation for Kim. She was affectionally dubbed “Queen Yu-na” well before she clinched gold at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics with a stunning, record-breaking performance.
The only thing perhaps that could make her more popular would be to help bring the 2018 Winter Olympics to Pyeongchang.
