KIN Seien

Because Korea was, at the time, occupied by Japanese forces, his participation at the Olympic Games was recorded under the Japanese name of Kin Seien. Kim Jeongyeon started skating on the nearby Taedong River since he attended the Pyongyang High School. In 1932, he enrolled in the Meiji University in Tokyo. In the mid-1930s, he was Japan’s best speed skater winning two consecutive all-round titles at the All Japan Speed Skating Championships. Kim particularly excelled in the medium and long distances winning six additional titles in the distance events (1,500 m, 5,000 m and 10,000 m) 1934 and 1937. His achievements earned him a place on the Japanese team at the Olympic Winter Games of 1936 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen with the 13th rank in the 10,000 m being the best placing. Just prior to the Olympic Games, Kim also competed at the European Championships in Oslo and the World Championship in Davos, placing 11th in the all-round of the latter.

While attending Meiji, Kim was temporarily captain of the skating club. After graduating in 1937, he returned to Korea and worked in the Academic Affairs Division of the Governor-General. After World War II, he returned to Korea but during the Korean War all his property remaining in his hometown was confiscated by the North Koreans, forcing him to start anew in South Korea. There, Kim also served as an executive director of the Korea Sports Association, chairman of the Korea Ice Skating Federation, and member of the Korea Olympic Committee. He acted in the Olympic Winter Games 1956 as deputy supervisor of the Korean athletes and in 1963 represented South Korea in the negotiations about a united team in Lausanne. Later, Kim was appointed honorary chairman of the Korea Ice Skating Federation.