South Korean speed skater Kim Jun-ho claimed a bronze medal and set a new national record in the men's 500 meters at the season's first International Skating Union (ISU) Speed Skating World Cup. His time of 33.78 seconds broke the previous mark of 34.03 seconds held by Cha Min-kyu. In the same event, Lee Na-hyun also won bronze in the women's 500m.
At the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City, Utah, Kim Jun-ho competed in the men's 500m event during the first International Skating Union (ISU) Speed Skating World Cup of the 2025-2026 season. On Sunday local time (Monday in Korea), he clocked 33.78 seconds to win bronze. This marked a new South Korean national record, surpassing Cha Min-kyu's previous time of 34.03 seconds set at the ISU World Cup Final in March 2019 by 0.25 seconds.
Jenning De Boo of the Netherlands took gold with 33.63 seconds, while Yevgeniy Koshkin of Kazakhstan, who skated in the same pair as Kim, earned silver in 33.67 seconds. Kim, the reigning Asian Winter Games bronze medalist in the 500m, recorded the second-fastest opening 100m split of 9.49 seconds and completed the remaining distance in 24.20 seconds. He caught an edge and fell immediately after crossing the finish line but avoided colliding with Koshkin.
In the women's 500m, Lee Na-hyun secured bronze with a personal-best 37.03 seconds, marking her first individual World Cup medal. Femke Kok of the Netherlands won gold and set a new world record of 36.09 seconds, breaking the 12-year-old mark held by South Korea's two-time Olympic champion Lee Sang-hwa.
These results highlight the strength of South Korean speed skating ahead of future international competitions.