Kim Yu-jae

Kim Yu-jae (born 12 June 2009) is a South Korean figure skater. She is a two-time bronze medalist on the ISU Junior Grand Prix (at the 2022 JGP France and the 2023 JGP Turkey) and the 2022 South Korea junior silver medalist. She placed fourth at the 2023 World Junior Championships.

Personal life
Kim was born on 12 June 2009 in Seoul. Her identical twin sister, Yu-seong, who is six minutes younger than her, is also a competitive figure skater.

Early years
Kim's mother, Ga-young, first signed her and her sister up for figure skating when they were eight years old as a means of improving their health and growth.

Due to the lack of skating rinks where they lived, the family moved to Gwacheon in 2019, where both sisters began training under Choi Hyung-kyung.

She won the silver medal at the 2022 South Korean Junior Championships at age of twelve.

2022–23 season
Based on her junior national podium the previous year, Kim was sent to make her international junior debut on the Junior Grand Prix. Given one assignment, she won the bronze medal at the 2022 JGP France in Courchevel. Kim attempted a triple Axel in the free skate, a rarity among female skaters, landing it a quarter underrotated.

After finishing sixth at the 2023 South Korean Championships at the senior level, Kim was given one of three South Korean berths at the 2023 World Junior Championships in Calgary. She finished fourth in the short program with a new personal best, despite receiving a quarter underrotation call on her triple loop attempt. In the free skate, Kim successfully landed the triple Axel, and received only one quarter call on her other six triple jumps. She was fourth in that segment as well, finishing fourth overall. She indicated that she next goal would be to put two triple Axels in her free skate.

2023–24 season
In late July, Kim competed at the 2023 South Korean ISU Junior Grand Prix Qualifiers, where she finished sixth. Her performances earned her one assignment on the Junior Grand Prix circuit. She won the bronze medal at the 2023 JGP Turkey.

In late September, it was announced that Kim and her sister made a coaching change from Choi Hyung-kyung to Chi Hyun-jung and Kim Jin-seo.

Kim went on to compete at the senior national ranking competition, where she finished sixth overall. At the 2024 South Korean Championships, Kim placed fifth. With this result, both Kim and her sister, who finished fourth at the event, were selected to represent South Korea at the 2024 World Junior Championships. She came sixteenth at the event, while Yu-seong was fifteenth.

Competitive highlights
JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Junior level
Current personal best scores are highlighted in bold.