"Please help Jun-hwan Cha get a military exemption!"
Cha Jun-hwan (21, Korea University), a figure skater who wrote the history of '5th place in the Olympics' for the first time in Korean male figure skating history, is a hot topic online.
They are none other than Japanese fans.
Cha Jun-hwan scored a total of 182.87 points in the men's single free skating at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics held yesterday (10th) at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China.
Cha Jun-hwan, who scored 99.51 points in the short program, finished fifth with a total of 282.38 points.
It is the first time that a Korean athlete has made it to the top 5 in Olympic figure skating since Yuna Kim's silver medal at the Sochi Olympics eight years ago, and it is the highest ranking in Korean men's figure skating history.
Cha Jun-hwan is popular not only in Korea but also abroad for his outstanding skills and handsome appearance.
Especially in Japan, where figure skating is very popular, the 'fan spirit' of female fans really exploded.
As proof of Cha Jun-hwan's high popularity in Japan, after the match, earnest petitions to "allow Cha Jun-hwan to be exempt from military service" are increasing on Japanese social media.
When Japanese fans heard the news that under Korean regulations, they had to be in the top 3 at the Olympics to be exempt from military service, they said, "Japanese athletes, please help Jun-hwan Cha to be exempt from military service." I wish I could be exempted from the military even if I just listen to the inside.”
(SBS Sub Star)
(SBS Entertainment News Editor Kim Seong-hwa)