Jeon Ji-hee from Hebei, China, naturalized in Korea in 2008
"Father advised, 'If you want to play table tennis, seize the opportunity'"
"Negative reactions were tough at first, but now it's okay"
Table tennis player Jeon Ji-hee mentioned the reason why she naturalized from China to Korea.
Jeon Ji-hee appeared as a guest on KBS1's 'Morning Yard' broadcast on the morning of the 20th and held a talk under the theme "A great achievement after 16 years! The eldest sister of the table tennis national team."
Regarding the change of nationality, she said, "I naturalized at the age of 17. There were some practical issues," adding, "I was eliminated from the Chinese national team and came to Korea. I am grateful to Korea for giving me the opportunity in my table tennis career."
She continued, "My father also asked me if I wanted to continue playing table tennis," and added, "He said that if I wanted to, I should seize the opportunity."
Despite the negative reactions both domestically and internationally in the early days of naturalization, she recalled, "It was difficult at first," and answered, "But now, I think it’s okay."
Jeon Ji-hee was born in 1992 in Langfang City, Hebei Province, China. She naturalized to Korea in 2008 and has been active as a table tennis national team player for a long time. She also won a bronze medal in the team event at the 2024 Paris Olympics along with Shin Yu-bin and Lee Eun-hye.
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