Media image and impact of Yuna Kim

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yuna Kim is a former competitive figure skater from South Korea. She is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2014 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time World champion (2009, 2013), the 2009 Four Continents champion, a three-time Grand Prix Final champion, the 2006 World Junior champion, the 2005 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, and a six-time South Korean national champion. Outside of figure skating, she has been active in a variety of fields, including music, television, and modelling. Formerly one of the highest-paid female athletes in the world, Kim has received numerous endorsements and is one of the most sought-after advertising models in South Korea. She is also a philanthropist and is recognised for her work with UNICEF, for whom she serves as a goodwill ambassador.

Cultural impact[edit]

Kim made Forbes Korea's Power Celebrity List in 2010, alongside celebrities like Rain and Girls' Generation.[1] She also made the 2010 Time 100, with a write-up from Michelle Kwan.[2] In the same year, Grammy award-winning singer Rihanna remarked that it was a "great honour" for her that Kim had used her song Please Don't Stop the Music for a gala program.[3]

In 2012, acclaimed Australian actor Hugh Jackman, upon hearing that Kim was skating to a song from the Les Misérables soundtrack, proclaimed that Kim was the “best”. Jackman, who was taking questions after a press screening in Seoul, invited Kim and six of her closest friends to watch the film with him, in case she needed to “get some inspiration" or "listen to the music.”[4]

In 2020, Academy Award-winning director of Parasite, Bong Joon-ho, mentioned Kim as one of the people he'd like to invite to his "last supper".[5]

Fashion[edit]

Kim wearing hanbok that she helped design for the event Hanbok Wave.

By 2009, Kim was considered a fashion and beauty icon among her peers, with items she was seen wearing getting an instant upgrade in terms of status.[6] On March 13, 2013, Kim was pictured wearing Dior's Addict Lip Glow while awaiting the draw for the short program at the 2013 World Championships, causing the sales of the lip balm to increase from 1000 units a day to more than 3000 units a day. By the day of the free skate, the lip balm had risen to the top of major search portals, and came to be known as "Yuna Kim's lipstick".[7]

Kim is an ambassador for Dior.[8] She attended Dior's Fall 2022 show held in Seoul, their first ever show in South Korea.[8][9]

In 2022, Kim helped design a collection of hanbok, or Korean traditional dress, inspired by her "personality and image", in collaboration with ten hanbok brands. The designs were showcased in a London fashion show titled Hanbok Wave, held at the Korean Cultural Centre during London Fashion Week. The show was hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Craft and Design Foundation, with the goal of promoting hanbok internationally. A video of the event appeared on the Victoria and Albert Museum's exhibition website for Hallyu! The Korean Wave. The hanbok worn by Kim was also featured in a photoshoot with Marie Claire, and a video of her wearing hanbok during the photoshoot was displayed on electronic billboards in Times Square.[10][11][12]

Kim has been featured on the cover page of many top fashion magazines, including the Korean edition of Vogue.[13] The Korean edition of Harper's Bazaar put her on the cover of its November 2019 issue with the title "The Queen".[14]

Endorsements and commercials[edit]

Among Kim's official sponsors are Kookmin Bank, Nike, Korean Air, Samsung and Hyundai Motor Company. Her other endorsements include Anycall (mobile phone), Hauzen (air conditioner), Lac Vert (cosmetics), Maeil Dairies Co. Ltd (dairy products), Maxim (coffee), Saffron (fabric softener), Tous Les Jours (bakery), J. Estina (jewelry) and Qua (apparel).[15][16]

Kim has appeared in many commercials in South Korea. Her commercial for a new touchscreen haptic phone from Samsung Electronics, dubbed "Yuna's Haptic" (SPH-W7700), sold over one million devices in a record seven months.[17][18][19] During the 2010 Winter Olympics, Forbes magazine named Kim, along with American snowboarder Shaun White, as the top-earning athletes participating in the Olympics with $7.5 million each to their name.[20] In August 2010, Forbes magazine listed her as one of the highest-paid female athletes in the world, with annual earnings of $9.7 million.[21]

Since her retirement, Kim has continued to dominate the commercial scene and remains an advertising giant in South Korea. Kim is said to earn 1 billion to 1.4 billion South Korean won (US$930,000 to US$1,300,000) per advertisement.[22][23]

Philanthropy and activism[edit]

Kim at the 2010 G-20 Seoul summit

Kim has donated more than 5 billion won to various charitable causes, as of February 2022.[24] In July 2010, she was named an international UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, with a stated aim of helping vulnerable children around the world.[25] In September 2010, she was invited to the United Nations' New York headquarters to mark the annual International Day of Peace celebration alongside high level UN officials, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and Goodwill Ambassadors representing other branches of the United Nations. There, she advocated peace messages on behalf of UNICEF.[26] Kim is a member of UNICEF's Honors Club, a group for major donors.[27] She was named an ambassador for the 2010 G-20 Seoul summit alongside actress Han Hyo-joo and soccer player representative Park Ji-sung.[28] First lady Kim Yoon-ok appointed her an ambassador for the 2010–2012 Visit Korea Year, promoting Korean tourism as part of a three year campaign.[29]

Kim has funded multiple scholarships for aspiring figure skaters in South Korea,[30][31] and donated the proceeds from her 2011 duet with IU, "Ice Flower", to the national figure skating team.[32] She commented: "I know how hard it is to be a skater. Even if there were a young, talented skater, she might be forced to give up skating because of financial trouble. I'd like to help her and others reach their goals."[33] Kim donated the prize money from the 2011 World Championships to children affected by the 2011 Japan earthquake;[34] the competition had been scheduled to be held in Japan before being reassigned to Russia as a result of the disaster.[35] She has also aided relief efforts in Nepal, Haiti, the Philippines, Turkey and Syria.[36] In 2014, she donated 100 million won to the families of the victims of the Sewol ferry disaster, in addition to the proceeds from her retirement medal.[37] During the COVID-19 pandemic, she made several donations to help provide vaccines to developing countries and conduct treatment initiatives.[38] On March 7, 2022, Kim donated 100 million won to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the massive wildfire that started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk and spread to Samcheok, Gangwon.[39]

In September 2022, she participated in a "women roundtable" held at the residence of the US Ambassador in Seoul by Kamala Harris to discuss gender equality, and the stories of Korean women having achieved parity with male rivals in their respective fields. The participants included Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon, Kim Sagwa, Youn Yuh-jung and the head of the Korean Medical Women's Association Baik Hyun-wook.[40][41] In December 2022, she was appointed an honorary ambassador for the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Canada. Kim was selected for the role by the Canadian Embassy in Seoul due to her years spent training in Canada. She will participate in various activities throughout 2023 to promote the relationship between the two countries.[42]

Books and television[edit]

On January 28, 2010, Kim published a book, Kim Yu-na's Seven-Minute Drama, about her experience with figure skating from the age of seven to her preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The Chosun Ilbo stated that the book "deals with her attempts to overcome her obstacles and to become the world's top figure skater."[43] In addition, she wrote a book called Like Yuna Kim, published on March 30, 2010. This book targets younger readers.[44]

In May 2011, Kim began to host a program called Kim Yuna's Kiss and Cry as part of SBS' Good Sunday. The show depicted ten celebrities learning how to figure skate from professional skaters. The contestants included comedian Kim Byung-man, singers U-Know of TVXQ, Krystal of f(x), IU and Son Dam-bi, actors Park Joon-geum, Seo Ji-seok, Lee Ah-hyun and Jin Ji-hee, and speed skater Lee Kyou-hyuk.[45] The winner of the show was Krystal and her partner Lee Dong-hoon. The runner up was Kim Byung-man and his partner Lee Soo-kyung.[46] As a reward, Krystal and Lee Dong-hoon got to showcase their skating with Kim in the All That Skate exhibition that was held in August 2011.[47] Cha Jun-hwan appeared in this show as a professional skater.[48]

Discography[edit]

Kim with South Korean boy band BigBang

Kim has worked on several projects as a singer. She recorded a duet with K-pop singer Lee Seung-gi titled "Smile Boy (Rock Ver.)", the 2010 Football World Cup commercial song.[49][50] She also sang with South Korean band BigBang and rock group Transfixion on the single "The Shouts of Reds Part 2", created for the Korean World Cup soccer team.[51] In 2011, she recorded a duet with IU, titled "Ice Flower", for her television show Kim Yuna's Kiss and Cry.[32] Between 2008 and 2014, Kim released four albums compiling her skating music and other favorites, beginning with Yuna Kim: Fairy on the Ice. The combined sales surpassed 100,000, a rarity for classical music.[52]

Singles[edit]

As lead artist[edit]

List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions and sales, showing album name and year released
Title Year Peak chart positions Sales Album
KOR
[53]
"Smile Boy (Rock Ver.)"
(with Lee Seung-gi) 		2010 14 Non-album release
"Super Girl"
(with Sistar and Electroboyz) 		57
"Winter Dream" (꿈의 겨울)
(with Lena Park) 		2011 62
"Ice Flower" (얼음꽃)
(with IU) 		8

As featured artist[edit]

List of singles as featured artist, with selected chart positions, showing album name and year released
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
KOR
[56]
"The Shouts of Reds Part 2" (승리의 함성)
(BigBang and Trans Fixion featuring Yuna Kim) 		2010 47 Non-album release
"Move Like This"[a]
(An Yujin and Kang Daniel featuring Yuna Kim) 		2022 —[b] Non-album release

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "Move Like This" was released as a promotional single in collaboration with Gatorade.[57]
  2. ^ "Move Like This" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 25 on the component Circle Download Chart.[58]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "In Pictures: Korea's Power Celebrity List". Forbes. July 29, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  2. ^ Kwan, Michelle (April 29, 2010). "The 2010 TIME 100 - TIME". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved December 20, 2023 – via content.time.com.
  3. ^ 이데일리 (February 11, 2010). "리한나, "김연아 선수가 내 노래 써줘 큰 영광"". 이데일리. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  4. ^ Kitchen, Matthew (November 28, 2012). "Hugh Jackman: Yuna Kim is "certain to win!"". NBC Sports. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  5. ^ Wright, Chris (February 12, 2020). "Oscar-winning 'Parasite' director Bong Joon-Ho would invite Premier League star to 'last meal' with Hitchcock, Scorsese". Retrieved August 25, 2023 – via ESPN.
  6. ^ Han, Jane (April 3, 2009). "Yu-na's Fashion Picks in Vogue". The Korea Times. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  7. ^ '완판녀' 김연아 덕에 웃는 디올 [Dior smiles thanks to 'sold-out girl' Yuna Kim]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). March 20, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Gaskins, Ty (April 29, 2022). "Dior Teases Upcoming Fall 2022 Show with Jisoo, Bae Suzy and Yuna Kim". Grazia. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  9. ^ "The Best Celebrity Looks at Dior's Fall 2022 Show in Seoul". L'Officiel Singapore. May 3, 2022. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  10. ^ Lee, Jian (September 27, 2022). "Hanbok designed by Kim Yuna to be showcased during London fashion show". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  11. ^ Merrell, Chloe (September 28, 2022). "Figure skating star Yuna Kim headlines London Fashion week". Olympics.com. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  12. ^ Taylor, Nigel (September 28, 2022). "Korean 'Hanbok Wave' fashion project launched in London". Fashion Network. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  13. ^ Kim, James (May 28, 2014). "Yuna Kim Graces the Cover of 'VOGUE KOREA'". Character Media. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  14. ^ Hersh, Philip (February 25, 2020). "Ten years later, Queen Yuna's iconic crown glitters with transcendent brilliance". NBC Sports. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  15. ^ Yuna Kim Official Website-PARTNERS Archived January 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Yunakim.com. Retrieved on June 4, 2012.
  16. ^ Beauchamp, Sarah (February 9, 2018). "Everything You Need To Know About Yuna Kim's Sparkling Career". Bustle.
  17. ^ "Yuna Becomes Model for Handset CF". The Korea Times. May 10, 2009. Archived from the original on May 13, 2009.
  18. ^ 록커로 변신한 김연아 (in Korean). 해럴드경제. May 22, 2009.
  19. ^ 미 언론 '김연아폰' 신기록의 힘은... (in Korean). The Chosun Ilbo. December 24, 2009. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012.
  20. ^ Settimi, Christina (February 9, 2010). "Top-Earning Athletes Of The 2010 Winter Olympics". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 8, 2017.
  21. ^ "The World's Highest-Paid Female Athletes". Forbes. August 18, 2010. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017.
  22. ^ "[PyeongChang 2018] Kim Yuna reigns supreme in Olympics commercials". The Korea Herald. February 22, 2018. Archived from the original on April 29, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  23. ^ "Retired Figure Skater Yuna Kim Dubbed "Ad Queen" In S. Korea". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. February 21, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  24. ^ Kim, Ji-sun (February 22, 2022). '50억 기부' 김연아, 이번엔 동계청소년올림픽 응원…"강원2024" ['5 billion won donation.' Yuna Kim, this time cheering for the Winter Youth Olympics... "Gangwon 2024".]. Money Today (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022 – via Naver.
  25. ^ "International skating sensation Yuna Kim becomes international UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador". UNICEF. July 12, 2010. Archived from the original on July 15, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  26. ^ "UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Yuna Kim takes a stand for peace and development". UNICEF. September 17, 2010. Archived from the original on September 23, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  27. ^ Park, A-reum (April 9, 2014). "역시 유니세프 아너스클럽 회원" 김연아, 아이스쇼 출연료 전액 기부 ["As expected, a member of the UNICEF Honors Club." Yuna Kim donates all her ice show fees.]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022 – via Naver.
  28. ^ Cho, Jin-seo (November 8, 2010). "G20 glossary: deciphering alphabet soup of the communique". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  29. ^ Kang, Hyun-kyung (April 29, 2009). "Yuna Named Amb. of Visit Korea Year". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on January 20, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  30. ^ '사치녀' 김연아? 귀국 일주일만에 1억 쏜 통 큰 '기부퀸' ['Luxurious woman' Yuna Kim? A big 'donation queen' who gave 100 million won one week after returning to Korea]. Sports Dong-a (in Korean). July 27, 2010. Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  31. ^ Oh, Hae-won (May 14, 2008). 김연아, 대신증권과 함께 피겨꿈나무에 장학금 전달 [Yuna Kim, together with Daishin Securities, delivered scholarships to young figure skaters]. Newsis (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022 – via Naver.
  32. ^ a b Kim, Won-ik (January 3, 2012). 김연아-아이유, '얼음꽃' 음원 수익금 피겨대표팀에 전달 [Yuna Kim and IU donate proceeds from 'Ice Flower' to the national figure skating team]. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2011 – via Naver.
  33. ^ Kim, Nahui-Adelaide (October 23, 2009). "Yu-Na Kim: Twenty Percent to Perfection". Golden Skate. Archived from the original on June 9, 2012.
  34. ^ Carr, Flora (February 9, 2018). "5 Things to Know About Yuna Kim, Lighter of the Olympic Cauldron". Time. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  35. ^ "Moscow to host skating worlds in place of Japan". Reuters. March 24, 2011. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  36. ^ "Yuna Kim donates 100,000 USD to Türkiye and Syria earthquake recovery fund". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. February 13, 2023. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  37. ^ Min, Kyung-hoon (April 28, 2014). 김연아 은퇴 메달 공개..수익금 일부 세월호 참사 희생자위해 기부 [Yuna Kim's retirement medal unveiled...Part of the proceeds will be donated to victims of the Sewol ferry disaster]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022 – via Naver.
  38. ^ "Kim Yuna donates 100 million won for COVID-19 treatment initiatives". The Dong-a Ilbo. June 8, 2021. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  39. ^ Jo, Si-hyeong (March 6, 2022). 김연아, 산불 피해 복구에 1억원 쾌척...'피겨퀸'의 선한 영향력 [Yuna Kim donates 100 million won to restore damage from forest fires... The good influence of the 'figure skating queen]. Korea Economy TV (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022 – via Naver.
  40. ^ "Harris meets Korean women leaders to discuss gender equality". The Korea Times. Yonhap News Agency. September 29, 2022. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  41. ^ "U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris slams North Korea missile test". The Japan Times. Reuters. September 29, 2022. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  42. ^ Kim, Hyo-jeong (December 13, 2022). 한·캐나다 60주년 홍보대사에 김연아·'김씨네 편의점' 윤진희(종합) [Yuna Kim and 'Kim's Convenience' Jean Yoon to be honorary ambassadors for the 60th anniversary of Korea and Canada]. Yonhap News (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022 – via Naver.
  43. ^ "Kim Yu-na Takes Up Writing". The Chosun Ilbo. January 21, 2010. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  44. ^ Kim, Yuna (2010). 김연아처럼 (세계를 가슴에 품은 어린이들의 꿈). Korea: JoongAng Digital Media (JDM). p. 168. ISBN 978-89-451-2516-3.
  45. ^ Chung, Ah-young (May 2, 2011). "Kim Yu-na to host TV show". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  46. ^ Lee, Yeon-jeong (August 15, 2011). '피겨 대중화' 꿈 이룬 '키스 앤 크라이' ['Kiss and Cry', the dream of 'popularizing figure skating']. Yonhap News (in Korean). Retrieved October 29, 2022 – via Naver.
  47. ^ Han, Hyun-jung (August 15, 2011). '키앤크' 우승 크리스탈·이동훈, 김연아 아이스쇼 참가 [Krystal and Lee Dong-hoon, who won "Kiss and Cry", participated in Yuna Kim's ice show]. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Retrieved October 29, 2022 – via Naver.
  48. ^ Kim, Pyo-hyang (May 6, 2011). '김연아의 키스앤크라이' 스타와 함께할 전문 스케이터 10명 공개 [10 professional skaters partnering the stars of 'Kim Yuna's Kiss and Cry' revealed]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Naver.
  49. ^ "Yuna Kim to debut as a singer". Asia One. May 15, 2010. Archived from the original on May 18, 2010.
  50. ^ "Yuna Kim, Lee Seung-gi Collaborate on World Cup Commercial Song". The Chosun Ilbo. May 17, 2010. Archived from the original on May 20, 2010.
  51. ^ Im, Mi-na (May 11, 2010). 현대차, 김연아ㆍ빅뱅 월드컵 응원가 공개 [Hyundai Motor Company unveils Yuna Kim and BigBang's World Cup cheering song]. Yonhap News (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023 – via Naver.
  52. ^ Lee, Sun-young (July 3, 2014). "Kim Yuna effect in music world". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  53. ^ Peaks on the Gaon Digital Chart:
  54. ^ Cumulative sales for "Winter Dream":
  55. ^ "2011 Download Chart". Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  56. ^ Peaks on the Gaon Digital Chart:
  57. ^ Yang, Haley (June 20, 2022). "Figure skater Kim Yuna, Kang Daniel and An Yu-jin join forces on 'Move Like This'". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  58. ^ "2022년 26차 Download Chart". Circle Chart. Archived from the original on July 18, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Media_image_and_impact_of_Yuna_Kim&oldid=1219916031"