Wrestling Commentator 'Ppateru Ajeossi' Former Professor Kim Young-jun Passes Away

Popular as a commentator in Olympic wrestling events

Kim Young-jun, a former wrestling commentator famous as 'Bbateuru Ajusshi,' and a former professor at Kyonggi University's Graduate School of Sports Science, passed away at 3:45 a.m. on the 15th at Ajou University Hospital in Suwon. He was 76 years old.

Born in 1948 in Buan, Jeonbuk, the late Kim attended Jeonju Youngsaeng High School and Hanyang University’s Department of Business Administration. From 1970 to 1974, he was a national wrestling athlete representing South Korea at the Bangkok Asian Games, Munich Olympics, and Tehran Asian Games.

In particular, from 1984, he gained popularity as a wrestling commentator for KBS, MBC, and SBS, especially for Olympic wrestling events. It was during this period that he earned the nickname Bbateuru Ajusshi. He later served as the head coach of the South Korean wrestling national team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, was a director of the Korea Wrestling Federation from 1988 to 1991, and served as the head of the athlete delegation at the 1991 Asian Wrestling Championships.

Starting in 1998, he began teaching as an adjunct professor in the Department of Physical Education at Kyonggi University and served as a professor at the Graduate School of Sports Science from 2001 to 2013, educating many students. Recently, since 2013, he actively contributed as the vice chairman of the Korean Ethnic Community Foundation and as a director of the Yun Bong-gil Memorial Association.

He is survived by his wife Bae Sook-hee, one son and one daughter: son Kim Ji-hoon (Head of Kakao Entertainment Business Division), daughter Kim So-won (business), and daughter-in-law Jung Noon-sil (Executive Director of Strategy Division at Hanwha Solutions). The funeral is being held at Samsung Seoul Hospital Funeral Hall, Room 15. The funeral procession will depart at 7 a.m. on the 18th, and the burial site is at Bundang Bonandang Home.