Kim Hyo-bin dedicates canoeing double gold to his foster parents

Kim Hyo-bin dedicated his two Asian Games gold medals to the foster parents who raised him in Buyeo. The 25-year-old canoeist won gold in the men’s kayak four 500-meter event on Sept. 24 and the men’s kayak double 500-meter event the next day at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. He said canoeing helped him through bullying and depression in high school, and he became the first Korean athlete to win two gold medals at the Games.

Kim Hyo-bin was raised by Lee Gong-heon, 70, and Choi Hyeon-suk, 63, after they took him in when he was 9 months old.

He lived in a children’s home in Buyeo until he left at 19, and he said the facility and the people around it were like family to him.

Kim won his first gold medal on Sept. 24 in the men’s canoe sprint kayak four 500-meter event.

He won his second gold medal the following day in the men’s kayak double 500-meter event with Cho Gwang-hee.

Kim and Cho later said the Korea Canoe Federation had provided insufficient support and communication, and the federation said it was examining the situation closely.

Published Sep 29, 2026 12:00 am KST

Kim Hyo-bin, center, a double gold medalist in canoe sprint kayak events, poses with his foster family after arriving at Incheon International Airport, Sept. 27. Courtesy of Kim Hyo-bin

If there are students or athletes in similar circumstances to mine, I want to tell them, ‘If you don't give up, the world you've dreamed of can surely open up before you.'

Kim Hyo-bin, a 25-year-old who has become a rising star in Korean canoeing and won two gold medals at the Asian Games, broke down in tears as he spoke about the couple who raised him with love.

Lee Gong-heon, 70, and his wife, Choi Hyeon-suk, 63, took him in when he was 9 months old and cared for him until he left their children's home at 19.

“They are my parents,” Kim said, wiping away tears repeatedly. “Although I never experienced the care of my biological parents, I don't think it would be easy for any biological parents to care for me as well as they did.”

At the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, he won two titles alongside his idol and fellow former student from Buyeo High School, Cho Gwang-hee, 33, who also represents Ulsan Metropolitan City Hall.

Kim claimed his first gold medal on Sept. 24 in the men's canoe sprint kayak four 500-meter event. The following day, he and Cho won the men's kayak double 500-meter event, making Kim the first Korean athlete to win two gold medals at this year's Games.

Caressing his medals, Kim said, “I never expected to win gold in the four-person event. All of this feels like a dream.”

His path to the top was far from smooth.

Placed in a children's home in Buyeo at the request of the city when he was 9 months old, Kim grew up regarding the facility as his home and the people around him as family.

“Even as a child, I was proud of living in a children's home and never felt intimidated,” he said. “But after entering high school, I was teased for being an orphan and bullied. I went through difficult times, including depression.”

Canoeing, which he began pursuing seriously in middle school, helped him through those struggles.

“Canoeing was what pulled me back when I was going through a difficult period,” Kim said. “If there are students or athletes in similar circumstances to mine, I want to tell them, ‘If you don't give up, the world you've dreamed of can surely open up before you.’”

Asked about the biggest challenge in his life, Kim unexpectedly pointed to his frail health.

He suffered from various illnesses during childhood and had several close brushes with death.

In a phone interview with The Hankook Ilbo, Choi recalled, “He became part of our family along with his older sister, who is two years older than him, but Hyo-bin was particularly frail.”

“We took him to hospitals in Buyeo, Daejeon and even Seoul, and there were times when we managed to pull him through critical situations,” she said. “I'm so proud that he has grown up healthy and become one of the best canoeists in Asia.”

Kim had hoped to invite his foster parents to the Games, but he reportedly tickets for the canoeing events had sold out well in advance. Instead, he was able to return home with two gold medals and express his gratitude to them.

Kim Hyo-bin, left, who won two gold medals in the men's canoe sprint, holds up his medals alongside teammate and fellow medalist Cho Gwang-hee at Korea House in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 26. Korea Times photo by Kim Hyeong-jun

Even after leaving the children's home, the people there have continued to be a strong support system for Kim. On his return to Korea on Sunday, his foster parents, along with other family members, left Buyeo early in the morning to welcome him at Incheon International Airport.

Kim placed his gold medals around the necks of the couple who raised him and embraced them tightly. Lee and Choi also offered words of encouragement to Kim as he sets his sights on the world stage, as well as to other children who may follow in his footsteps.

“Who would ever want to come to our home?” Choi said, referring to the children's home. “Even if life takes you in a direction different from what you had hoped for, I hope you will overcome it.”

‘Insufficient support for national team'

Meanwhile, Kim and Cho said after the Games that the Korea Canoe Federation had provided insufficient support and communication.

The federation expressed some frustration over the athletes' criticism but said it was “examining the situation closely and will communicate with athletes and coaches.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

金孝彬将他在亚运会上获得的两枚金牌献给了在扶余抚养他长大的养父母。这位25岁的皮划艇运动员在2026年爱知-名古屋亚运会上，分别于9月24日和第二天在男子四人皮划艇500米和男子双人皮划艇500米项目中夺得金牌。他表示，皮划艇运动帮助他走出了高中时期的校园霸凌和抑郁，他也成为首位在亚运会上获得两枚金牌的韩国运动员。

金孝彬9个月大时被70岁的李恭宪和63岁的崔贤硕收养。

他从小就住在扶余的一家儿童之家，直到 19 岁离开。他说，那里的机构和周围的人就像他的家人一样。

金在9月24日男子皮划艇四人500米短距离赛中赢得了他的第一枚金牌。

第二天，他和赵光熙搭档，在男子双人皮划艇 500 米比赛中获得了第二枚金牌。

金和赵后来表示，韩国皮划艇协会提供的支持和沟通不足，该协会表示正在密切调查此事。

发布于2026年9月29日凌晨12:00（韩国标准时间）

皮划艇短距离竞速项目双料金牌得主金孝彬（图中）于9月27日抵达仁川国际机场后，与他的寄养家庭合影。照片由金孝彬提供。

如果学生或运动员的处境与我相似，我想告诉他们：“只要你不放弃，你梦想的世界就一定会在你面前展开。”

25岁的金孝彬是韩国皮划艇界冉冉升起的新星，曾在亚运会上获得两枚金牌。在谈到用爱养育他的夫妇时，他不禁潸然泪下。

70 岁的李恭宪和 63 岁的妻子崔贤淑在他 9 个月大的时候收养了他，并照顾他直到他 19 岁离开他们的儿童之家。

“他们是我的父母，”金一边说着，一边不停地擦眼泪。“虽然我从未感受过亲生父母的关爱，但我认为，即使是亲生父母，也很难像他们那样照顾我。”

在 2026 年爱知-名古屋亚运会上，他与自己的偶像、扶余高中校友赵光熙（33 岁）一起获得了两项冠军，赵光熙也代表蔚山市政府参赛。

9月24日，金在男子皮划艇四人500米短距离赛中夺得首枚金牌。第二天，他和赵成勋又赢得了男子皮划艇双人500米比赛的冠军，使金成为本届冬奥会上首位获得两枚金牌的韩国运动员。

金正恩抚摸着自己的奖牌说：“我从没想过能在四人赛艇项目中获得金牌。这一切都像做梦一样。”

他的登顶之路并非一帆风顺。

金在9个月大的时候，应市政府的要求被安置在扶余市的一家儿童之家。他从小就把这家机构当作自己的家，把周围的人当作家人。

“即使是小时候，我也为自己住在儿童之家而感到自豪，从未感到害怕，”他说。“但进入高中后，我因为是孤儿而遭到嘲笑和欺凌。我经历了一段艰难的时期，包括患上抑郁症。”

他在中学时开始认真练习划独木舟，这项运动帮助他度过了那些难关。

“在我经历一段艰难时期时，皮划艇运动给了我力量，”金说。“如果有学生或运动员和我处境相似，我想告诉他们，‘只要你不放弃，你梦想的世界就一定会在你面前展开。’”

当被问及人生中最大的挑战时，金正恩出人意料地提到了自己虚弱的身体。

他童年时期饱受各种疾病的折磨，曾多次​​与死神擦肩而过。

崔在接受《韩国日报》电话采访时回忆说：“他和他比他大两岁的姐姐一起成为了我们家庭的一份子，但孝彬身体特别虚弱。”

“我们带他去过扶余、大田甚至首尔的医院，有好几次我们都成功地把他从危急关头拉了回来，”她说。“我为他能健康成长，并成为亚洲最优秀的皮划艇运动员之一而感到无比自豪。”

金正日原本希望邀请他的养父母来观看奥运会，但据报道，皮划艇比赛的门票早已售罄。最终，他带着两枚金牌凯旋而归，并向他们表达了感激之情。

9月26日，在日本名古屋韩国之家，男子皮划艇竞速赛两枚金牌得主金孝彬（左）与队友兼奖牌获得者赵光熙一同展示奖牌。（韩国时报 金亨俊 摄）

即使离开儿童之家，那里的人们仍然是金某强大的后盾。周日他返回韩国时，他的养父母和其他家人一大早就从扶余出发，前往仁川国际机场迎接他。

金正恩将他的金牌挂在养育他的夫妇脖子上，并紧紧拥抱了他们。李和崔也鼓励金正恩在世界舞台上大展拳脚，同时也鼓励其他可能追随他脚步的孩子们。

“谁会愿意来我们家呢？”崔女士指的是儿童之家。“即使人生不如意，我也希望你能克服困难。”

“对国家队的支持不足”

与此同时，金和赵在赛后表示，韩国皮划艇协会提供的支持和沟通不足。

该联合会对运动员的批评表示了一些不满，但表示正在“密切关注情况，并将与运动员和教练进行沟通”。

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。