From robots to chefs, Hyundai continues 40 years of support for Korean Olympic archers

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From robots to chefs, Hyundai continues 40 years of support for Korean Olympic archers

Published: 29 Jul. 2024, 16:20 Updated: 29 Jul. 2024, 16:29

SARAH CHEA
chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung delivers gold medals to Korean archers Jeon Hun-young, Lim Si-hyeon and Nam Su-hyeon as they beat China in the women's team archery gold medal match to win Korea’s 10th straight Olympic gold in the event at the Invalides in Paris on Sunday. [KOREA ARCHERY ASSOCIATION]

From shooting robots to personal chefs, Hyundai Motor’s openhanded support for the Korean archery teams at the Olympics this year continues a four-decade tradition.

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, the president of World Archery Asia, presented the gold medals to three Korean archers in Paris on Sunday after they beat China in the women’s team archery final, winning the country's 10th straight Olympic gold in the event.

"I will do everything I can; It's my duty to help athletes reach the best of their ability and achieve what they want," Chung said after the medal ceremony.

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, far right, takes a photo with Korean archers as they beat China in the women's team archery gold medal match to win Korea’s 10th straight Olympic gold in the event at the Invalides in Paris on Sunday. [KOREA ARCHERY ASSOCIATION]

Chung is at the forefront of support for Korean archers at this year's Olympics. He visited the stadium and training ground in the French capital multiple times to check on the conditions and directly engaged in hiring a personal chef for the archers.

Hyundai's sponsorship of the national archery teams marks 40 years this year since 1985, when Hyundai's honorary chairman Chung Mong-koo, father of the current chief, was appointed as the association's chairman. The younger Chung has been heading the Korea Archery Association since 2005 and also serves as the president of World Archery Asia.

The automaker also developed a self-adjusting shooting robot, which logs an average accuracy rate of 9.65 out of 10, to help the archers in their training, beating the athletes in the two sessions they were used in.

Other products utilizing innovative technology were also offered to assist the archers, such as 3-D-printed bow grips that allow for quicker adjustment, camera-based heart rate sensors and hats that reflect direct sunlight.

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, center, holds Korea's national flag, to cheer Korean archers in the women's team archery gold medal match against China at the Invalides in Paris on Sunday. [KOREA ARCHERY ASSOCIATION]

The national archery team is also provided with a training ground around 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) away from the stadium, along with a rest area some 300 meters (984 feet) from the stadium that offers a place to relax, take showers and get physical therapy.

Hyundai Motor has spent over 50 billion won ($36 million) to sponsor archers and boost a healthy sporting environment for the past 40 years.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]