"If Yuna Hadn't Been There..." Asada Mao's Candid Confession During Her Surprise Visit to Korea

Remarks at the 60th Anniversary Ceremony of Japan Airlines (JAL) Gimpo-Haneda Route Launch

Former national figure skating representative Asada Mao (33), who was the face of Japanese figure skating, expressed her heartfelt feelings toward Kim Yuna in Korea. Making an unannounced "surprise visit" to Korea, Asada Mao said about Kim Yuna, "If it weren't for Yuna, I wouldn't be here." She also referred to Kim Yuna simply as "Yuna," without using titles like "athlete," showing a sense of closeness.

Former Japanese national figure skating representative Asada Mao appeared and gave a greeting at the Japan Airlines (JAL) Gimpo-Haneda route 60th anniversary ceremony held at Lotte Hotel Seoul on the afternoon of the 17th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to Yonhap News on the 18th, Asada Mao gave a greeting speech at the 60th anniversary ceremony of the Gimpo-Haneda route held by Japan Airlines (JAL) at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul the previous afternoon. Asada Mao said, "I was happy to lead an era as a figure skater representing Asia together with Yuna."

About 200 people from the domestic aviation and travel industries attended the event, and it is reported that except for some JAL employees, most were unaware of Asada Mao's visit to Korea.

Asada Mao added, "The first time I met Yuna was when we were 14 years old," and "Our mothers also knew each other, so we were close enough to exchange rice balls and kimchi."

Former Japanese national figure skating representative Mao Asada appeared and gave a greeting at the Japan Airlines (JAL) Gimpo-Haneda route 60th anniversary ceremony held at Lotte Hotel Seoul on the afternoon of the 17th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Kim Yuna and Asada Mao, both born in 1990, led women's singles figure skating for nearly a decade since the late 2000s during their junior years.

Asada Mao was the first junior female skater in the world to successfully land the difficult jump of a triple Axel, which involves three and a half rotations in the air. She then dominated the Junior Grand Prix Final and the Junior World Championships in the 2004?05 season. From that time, Kim Yuna and Asada Mao formed a rivalry by sharing medals at major international competitions such as the Grand Prix events and World Championships.

Asada Mao won three gold medals at the World Figure Skating Championships, but at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, despite successfully landing the triple Axel three times, she had to concede the gold medal to Kim Yuna. Asada Mao, who set three world championship titles and a total of 10 world records, retired in 2017.

Meanwhile, JAL, Japan's leading national airline, began operating the Gimpo-Haneda route in 1964, one year before the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan. After starting joint operations with Korean Air three times a week, it currently operates three flights daily and holds the record for the longest continuous operation on this route.