Jin Jong-oh (42, Seoul City Hall), the sign of Korean shooting, apologized for calling the men's 10m air pistol gold medalist Javad Porugi (41, Iran) a 'terrorist' at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.



Porugi set an Olympic record in the men's 10m air pistol event at the Tokyo Olympics on the 24th and won a gold medal around the neck.



Earlier, Israeli 'Jerusalem Post' and others reported that Porugi was a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the US government designated as a terrorist organization.



Jin Jong-oh, who had competed in the men's 10m air pistol final with Porugi, also voiced his voice after returning to Korea on the 28th, saying, "The organizing committee seems to have made a mistake. Hasn't something absurd that a terrorist won first place?"



According to Iranian local broadcast data, Porugi was interviewed that he served as a medic in the Revolutionary Guards around 2013, and was sent to the Syrian civil war as a medic several times over a period of several weeks to a month.



In Iran, which is a conscripted country, adult males serve for about two years in either the Republican Army or the Revolutionary Guard Corps.



Opinions are divided as to whether it is correct to call an individual a terrorist because he served compulsory service in the armed forces designated by the United States as a terrorist organization.



According to the Associated Press, Porugi is currently working as a nurse at a hospital in Tehran.



In the midst of this, the Iranian embassy in Korea issued a statement yesterday (30th) asking for an end to the accusations of abandonment, saying, "The Revolutionary Guard Corps has been the official military pillar of the Islamic Republic of Iran, protecting the land and people and playing an important role in building security in the Middle East." urged.



Jin Jong-oh apologized for his remarks on social media.



He said, "I apologize for causing controversy with inappropriate remarks during an interview with the media when I returned to Incheon International Airport. I deeply reflect on this, and I apologize to Porugi who was hurt by my remarks.”



Jin Jong-oh went on to hunt for his 7th Olympic medal at the Tokyo Games, but finished the challenge without reaching the final in the men's 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team event.



(Photo = Yonhap News)