Korea's short-track maverick Hwang Dae-heon (27, Gangwon Provincial Office) has finally decided to open Pandora's box. He has declared he will speak about his deep-seated feud with Lin Xiaojun (Korean name Im Hyo-jun), who became a "hero of the continent" after naturalizing to China.
China's largest sports outlet, Sina Sports, reported on the 4th (Korea time) that "South Korea's Hwang Dae-heon said he intends to explain the various allegations surrounding him and past incidents with Lin Xiaojun immediately after the closing of the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics," giving the story prominent coverage.
The truth of that day, buried in his heart for seven years, is ready to shake Beijing and Seoul, surpassing even the heat of Istanbul.
Sina Sports labeled Hwang Dae-heon's move "a major earthquake within South Korean short track" and was on high alert.
On the 2nd, Hwang Dae-heon posted a long message on his social media, breaking his silence. He appealed his innocence, saying, "I can no longer watch as false parts are accepted as fact and hardened as if they were the truth." This is his first official notice in seven years since the 2019 Jincheon athletes' village sexual harassment incident.
In that incident, Lin Xiaojun was suspended by the Korea Skating Union, and after legal battles, he was ultimately acquitted by the Supreme Court. However, the resentment that built up during that process and public backlash pushed Lin Xiaojun toward the extreme choice of naturalizing to China.
By contrast, despite being a "victim," Hwang Dae-heon became cast as the villain by domestic and international fans as repeated collisions and "team-kill controversies" in subsequent races piled up.
Hwang Dae-heon set the specific timing of his explanation for after the world championships in Montreal in March. Since this is a period when he must focus on national team duties and training, he plans to speak out in earnest after finishing all schedules.
Sina Sports predicted, "Depending on what 'truth' Hwang Dae-heon brings out after the March world championships, a huge storm could hit the South Korea-China short-track world."
Especially after winning two silver medals at these Milan Olympics and defending Korea's pride, attention is focused on what counterweapon Hwang Dae-heon will reveal against Lin Xiaojun, who has become a representative star of Chinese short track.
There is a strong possibility that Hwang Dae-heon's declaration is not simply an attempt to whitewash the past. Observers say it could include the legitimacy of Lin Xiaojun's naturalization and behind-the-scenes stories from the athletes' village that we did not know—the "hidden truth."
The entire skating world is focused on his lips, wondering whether the story that comes from Hwang Dae-heon will be a "handshake of reconciliation" or the "opening chapter of an irreversible war."
[Photo] OSEN DB. Lin Xiaojun SNS
[OSEN]