President Moon Jae-in sent messages to South Korean Olympic medalists on Sunday to personally congratulate them on their recent feats at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.
In a congratulatory message to Lee Sang-ho, the South Korean snowboarder who won silver in the men's parallel giant slalom on Saturday, Moon said Lee had written a new chapter in the country's history.
"Thanks to Lee, our snow sports wrote new history," the president said, calling Lee and his achievement the "pride" of the nation.
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Lee Sang-ho won silver in the men's parallel giant slalom on Feb. 24 (Yonhap) |
Lee's silver was the country's first-ever Olympic medal in snowboarding.
Moon also congratulated Kim Tae-yun, who won the bronze medal in the men's 1,000m speed skating on Friday.
"Your passionate spirit seen in your loss of weight to make your body more fit for the conditions of the ice has led to a great and precious outcome," the president said.
"When the winners were announced, the people too raised their hands in great joy," he added.
The president also congratulated the women's curling team and the four-man bobsleigh team, both of whom won silver in their respective events earlier Sunday, the last day of the PyeongChang Olympics, which began Feb. 9.
In a tweeted message, the president said the now famous women's curling team has made him and many others realize how much fun the sport was.
"I offer my best congratulations to women's curling team on winning its silver medal," Moon wrote. "Truly, it has made the entire nation fall in love with curling."
He said the victory by the men's bobsleigh team was a true miracle.
"They achieved an amazing feat of winning silver in just eight years since they began sledding with a second-hand bobsled in a country that didn't have a single bobsleighing center," the president said. "I applaud you, who have overcome a period of patience and once again proved the strength of our people." (Yonhap)
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