Taekwang Group Ilju Saehwa Foundation Awards Special Scholarship to Olympic Gold Medalist Choi Gaon

Each Receives 10 Million Won Alongside Shin Jia of Saehwa Girls' High School
Recognizing Their Achievements at Milano-Cortina

Ilju Saehwa Foundation, an educational foundation under Taekwang Group, announced on March 3 that it has awarded special scholarships to Choi Gaon (snowboarding) and Shin Jia (figure skating), both third-year students at Saehwa Girls' High School, who represented the national team and performed at the 2026 Milano-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics.

Taekwang Group CI.

On the morning of the same day, Saehwa Girls' High School held a scholarship certificate award ceremony in its auditorium in Seocho-gu, Seoul, and presented each athlete with a special scholarship of 10 million won from the foundation. The foundation established the scholarship to recognize their contributions in elevating the school's honor and the pride of being a 'Saehwa person' by competing on the Olympic stage as national team athletes.

Choi Gaon won the gold medal in the women's snowboard halfpipe final at the 2026 Milano-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics with a score of 90.25. This was not only the first gold medal for the Korean team at the event, but also the first-ever Winter Olympic gold medal for Korea in any snow event. After failing her first and second attempts, she pulled off a dramatic comeback victory by successfully landing a high-difficulty skill in her third run.

Shin Jia secured her Olympic berth by finishing first in the national team selection and placed 11th overall in her Olympic debut, setting a personal best in the free skating segment. She demonstrated unwavering performances among the world's top athletes, proving her potential as a next-generation figure skating prospect.

During the award ceremony, both athletes expressed their gratitude for the school's support, stating, "We are thankful for the school's encouragement and will continue to grow as more humble and resilient athletes."

Oh Samchan, Principal of Saehwa Girls' High School, said, "These two students, who represented Korea on the world stage, are the pride of Saehwa. We will continue to support them so that they can pursue their dreams in their respective fields." In addition to this special scholarship, the school has also supported the athletes' tuition and fees in accordance with internal regulations.

Established in 1977, Ilju Saehwa Foundation operates Saehwa Girls' Middle School, Saehwa Girls' High School, and Saehwa High School, and has been dedicated to nurturing talented individuals.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.