Canadian ice hockey player acquires Korean citizenship

A Canadian-born ice hockey player has acquired South Korean citizenship and will represent his adopted home in international competitions, the sport’s officials said Tuesday.

The Korea Ice Hockey Association said Brock Radunske has obtained his South Korean passport, about a month after the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) asked the government to grant the 29-year-old a chance to play for South Korea.

Officials of the association said Radunske will join the national team as soon as he finishes the necessary paperwork.

Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Radunske was fast-tracked for his naturalization as a skilled foreign native. South Korean hockey officials had openly discussed giving Radunske and other foreign-born players South Korean citizenship so that they can help the country qualify for the men’s hockey competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, a South Korean alpine town.

Radunske has been playing for the Anyang Halla of the Asia League Ice Hockey since 2008. The team is based in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, about 20 kilometers south of Seoul.

When the KOC recommended Radunske for fast-track, it said it recognized the Canadian’s “strong desire” to help South Korea qualify for the 2018 Winter Game and also noted his smooth transition into life in Korea on and off the ice.

The Anyang Halla won the league titles in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. Radunske, a high-scoring forward, was the regular season MVP in 2008-09 and the playoff MVP in 2009-10.

This season, Radunske ranked third in the league with 76 points in 41 games, with 23 goals and 53 assists. (Yonhap News)