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Hyundai Motor chief Euisun Chung named head of Korea Archery Association for sixth term

Published: 20 Dec. 2024, 15:58

SARAH CHEA
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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 in July. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung will once again lead the Korea Archery Association, an organization he has led for over two decades.

The Korea Archery Association's seven board members unanimously approved Chung's appointment as the 14th chairman of the group, which will extend for four years from January 2025 to January 2029.

It's Chung's sixth term as head of the archery association since 2005 when he first took the helm. Chung also serves as the president of World Archery Asia, where he is in his fifth term.

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 in July. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

The Korea Archery Association credited Chung's "contribution in raising Korean archery's competitiveness on the global stage" by promoting the association's financial independence, expanding archery's influence and strengthening the sport's capabilities.

Under Chung's leadership, the number of archers in Korea has jumped 70 percent since 2005 to reach 2,800 in 2024.

At the Paris Olympics this summer, Korea's national archery team swept five gold medals, with the women’s team winning Korea’s 10th straight Olympic gold in the event. Chung was present at the event to encourage the archers and check on conditions. He also hired a personal chef for the archers.

Hyundai's sponsorship of Korea's national archery teams marks 40 years since 1985, when Hyundai's honorary chairman Chung Mong-koo, father of the current chief, was appointed as the association's chairman.

This is the longest period a single corporation has supported sports. Hyundai Motor has spent over 50 billion won ($36 million) to sponsor archers and boost a healthy sporting environment for the past 40 years.

Hyundai 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.

Other innovative products 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.

BY SARAH CHEA [[email protected]]