Korea Shooting Federation forms performance committee for LA Olympics
In short
The Korea Shooting Federation said on Oct. 6 it appointed Kwak Min-su, a coach at Im-sil County Office, as head of a newly formed performance improvement committee as it begins preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The federation said it has already paid Asian Games prize money in full, funded by chairman Kang Yeon-sul, and the national team skipped a disbandment ceremony to prepare for the World Shooting Championships in Doha starting Nov. 1. South Korea finished third in shooting at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with three gold, five silver and four bronze medals, below its target of five gold, nine silver and five bronze.
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The Korea Shooting Federation said on Oct. 6 that it has formed a new Performance Improvement Committee and appointed Kwak Min-su, a coach at Im-sil County Office, as its chairman, as the federation begins preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The announcement was reported from Seoul by Yonhap. [ 1 ]
The federation said the reorganization corrects a long-standing structural problem caused by mismatched terms between national team coaches and the committee. The new committee will take consistent responsibility from coach selection through team operations and work with the national team until the LA Olympics. Yonhap reported that Kwak had coached Kim Ye-ji at the 2024 Paris Olympics and Chu Ga-eun, who won the team's first gold medal at this Asian Games. [ 1 ]
South Korea finished third overall in shooting at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with three gold, five silver and four bronze medals, below its original target of five gold, nine silver and five bronze, the federation said. It plans to hold an external expert evaluation meeting, inviting Olympic medalists, researchers from the Korea Institute of Sport Science and journalists to review performance by discipline and training conditions. [ 1 ]
The federation also said it completed paying Asian Games prize money early, fully funded by chairman Kang Yeon-sul, so athletes could concentrate on the next schedule. Newsis's headline also highlighted the prize money payment and the committee's formation. [ 1 , 2 ]
The national team began preparing for the World Shooting Championships, which open on Nov. 1 in Doha, Qatar, without a separate disbandment ceremony, the federation said. Kang said the federation would examine the tasks hidden behind the third-place finish with outside experts and change the support system to meet its goals at the Doha and Daegu world championships and the LA Olympics. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The reorganization is meant to fix a structural mismatch between national team coaches and the performance committee, which the federation said had caused problems. The federation also plans an external review of why its Asian Games medal haul fell short, and the changes will shape how the team is prepared for the LA Olympics and the upcoming world championships.
Key facts
- On Oct. 6, the Korea Shooting Federation said it appointed Kwak Min-su, a coach at Im-sil County Office, as chairman of the Performance Improvement Committee. [ 1 ]
- Kwak coached Kim Ye-ji at the 2024 Paris Olympics and Chu Ga-eun, who won the team's first gold medal at this Asian Games, according to the federation. [ 1 ]
- The federation said the overhaul fixes a long-standing structural problem caused by mismatched terms between national team coaches and the committee. [ 1 ]
- South Korea placed third in shooting at the Asian Games with 3 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze medals, short of its target of 5 gold, 9 silver and 5 bronze. [ 1 ]
- The federation said it paid Asian Games prize money early in full, funded by chairman Kang Yeon-sul, so athletes could focus on upcoming schedules. [ 1 ]
- The national team began preparing for the World Shooting Championships in Doha, Qatar, starting Nov. 1, without holding a separate disbandment ceremony. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- What specific findings the external expert evaluation will produce and how the new committee's authority will work in practice. The documents say an evaluation meeting will be held but give no details on membership, timing or expected outcome.
- Whether the Asian Games medal shortfall will lead to other changes beyond the committee reorganization. The documents do not mention any further consequences or decisions tied to the missed target.
- Newsis's detailed reporting beyond its headline and photo captions. Only the outlet's headline and photo captions could be read; its full article text was not available.