By Min Lee, Korean curling writer
If you have been following Korean curling this season, you may have noticed one notable absence from one of the country’s powerhouse teams. Seonyeong “Sunny” Kim, the engine behind Team Eunjung Kim’s powerful sweeping and a 2018 Olympic silver medallist, spent much of the year away from the women’s circuit. The reason was simple yet bold: a renewed Olympic pursuit through mixed doubles alongside Yeongseok Jeong.
In Korea, national championships are held during the summer, giving teams the chance to earn Olympic qualification after a full season of preparation. On the women’s side, Team Kim narrowly missed out, finishing fourth and opening the door for Team Eunji Gim to claim the Olympic berth. For Seonyeong Kim, the disappointment was heavy. The Olympic dream seemed to slip away until another opportunity emerged just three weeks later.
At the Korean Mixed Doubles National Championship, Kim and her partner Yeongseok Jeong, third player for Team Jongduk Park, came together at exactly the right moment. They won the national title, earning the right to represent Korea at the Olympic Qualifying Event.
The duo quickly earned the nickname “Seonyeongseok,” a reflection of both their names and their chemistry. Known for their positivity and energy on the ice, they became one of the most enjoyable teams to watch throughout the season.
For Kim, a two-time Olympian, the motivation was deeply personal. She often reflects on her previous Olympic experiences, saying that the memories were so meaningful and fun that she never stopped wanting to return to that stage. That mindset fuelled the pair as they prepared for the biggest event of their careers.
Their road to Kelowna, B.C., however, was anything but smooth. Traveling from Madison, Wisc., their flights were repeatedly delayed. Instead of flying directly to Calgary from Chicago, the team was rerouted through Toronto, then Vancouver, before finally reaching Kelowna.
Their luggage did not arrive until the morning of pre-event practice. With no equipment in hand, Kim borrowed a donated pair of youth curling shoes from the Kelowna Curling Club, while Jeong practiced in shoes borrowed from head coach Howard Rajala. They also lacked their usual uniforms and curling pants, forcing them to borrow gear from the Korean men’s team simply to comply with World Curling regulations.
Remarkably, pre-event practice marked the first time in a full week that both athletes were back in their own curling shoes.
Despite the chaos, Kim and Jeong delivered when it mattered most. They finished second in Group A with a 6–1 record, then defeated China 7–3 in the first qualification round. In the final qualification game, they faced Australia and secured a decisive 10–5 victory, officially booking the very last ticket to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Alongside Korea, Czechia emerged from the event as the final Olympic qualifiers.
The result carried an extra layer of meaning. Four years earlier, Korea’s mixed doubles team had faced Australia in the qualification final for the last Olympic spot and fell short in a heartbreaking 6–5 loss, granting Australia its first-ever Olympic appearance in curling. This time, the script flipped. Adding to the full-circle moment, Wade Scoffin, who coached Korea during that previous campaign, was now on the Czech bench.
For Kim and Jeong, the journey to Milano Cortina was anything but straightforward. Yet through resilience, positivity, and belief, “Seonyeongseok” turned adversity into momentum and ensured Korea’s place on the Olympic mixed doubles stage once again.
