South Koreans Discuss If Chloe Kim Would Have Made It To The Olympics If She Was Raised In Korea
Chloe Kim is currently one of the most searched names on Naver, South Korea’s google, as Korean’s express their pride in the teenage Korean-American gold medalist.
But some netizens are saying that if Chloe had been raised in Korea, she probably wouldn’t have made it to the Olympics as a snowboarder because of expectations in Korean culture.
“If you were in Korea, you would be riding the hagwon [afterschool institute] shuttle bus right now and spending the whole day at the hagwon. Didn’t you see the American flag waving when you were talking about your father’s country? You’re American.” — Netizen
“If you were born in Korea, I don’t think you would have achieved anything.” — Netizen
Many are saying she wouldn’t have had time to train as she would be stuck studying right now or be employed at a ski resort restaurant instead of competing.
“If she grew up in South Korea, she would just be a normal businesswoman” one user suggested, while another told her: “Never become Korean. South Korea would bury your talent like a black-hole.”
A lot of Naver users are saying her fame is meaningless to Koreans, and to remember that Chloe is part of the American team, not the South Korean team.
But that isn’t stopping Koreans from loving her anyway because she is boosting the international reputation of Korea and flaunting her love of K-Pop!