On September 23, South Korean short track speed skater Kim Jian-woo posted a message on social media, stating that he had never written or published any news related to obituaries. The obituary posted earlier that day was not by him, and at that time, he was unable to log into his account normally.
On September 23, Jin Jianyu released a denial statement. Screenshot of Jin Jianyu's account.
According to Korean media such as the 'Central Daily News', in the early hours of the 23rd local time, Kim Jian-woo posted a obituary on his personal social media account in a tone typical of family members.
The obituary states that Kim Jian-uk passed away on September 23. “The news came as a shock, leaving the family in grief and chaos, and we were unable to notify everyone individually.” This news has sparked mourning and speculation among fans.
Kim Jian-uk stated in his latest statement: 'At the time the post was posted, I was unable to log into that account normally. Due to the inability to log in, I had no knowledge that the post had been made until I learned about it through a person around me.'
He emphasized that the obituary was not written or published by him. Instead, it was done against his wishes. Currently, he is investigating the reasons why his account cannot be logged in properly, as well as the circumstances in which the obituary was published.
Kim Jianyu said that he feels deeply guilty for causing confusion and trouble to the public due to the relevant circumstances. He added, 'Since we are still verifying the accurate account login information and the specific process of posting the posts, I believe it is inappropriate to make conclusions about unverified content. We will provide accurate information only after fully understanding the facts.'
According to reports, Kim Jian-woo was born in 1998 and is currently 28 years old. He is a key athlete for the South Korean short track speed skating national team, specializing in long-distance races. His ability to overtake on the outer track is particularly outstanding. He announced his retirement in June 2026, concluding his athletic career by issuing a letter of thanks. His last public update was on September 2nd.
Kim Jianyu won the gold medal in the mixed relay at the Harbin Asian Winter Games and the silver medal in the men's 5000-meter relay at the World Championships. He has been a good friend of Lin Xiaojun for many years.
