Naturalized figure skater Quan Ye, who previously competed as a South Korean national ice dance team member alongside Hannah Lim (Canada), will continue her career representing South Korea.

On the 29th, Quan announced via social media that she has formed a new partnership with Korean-American Kim Gi-hyeon.

Quan stated, "I look forward to the journey we will take together," adding, "We ask for your continued support."

Quan, a Chinese-Canadian, had competed for the South Korean national team since 2021 alongside Hannah Lim, who holds dual citizenship in South Korea and Canada.

She later acquired South Korean nationality through the Ministry of Justice's special naturalization process in December 2024.

Together with Lim, she wore the Taegeuk mark and stepped onto the dream stage by competing in the 2026 Milano-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, but abruptly announced the team's disbandment last April.

Following this, Lim formed a new partnership with Canada's Zachary Lagha and announced she would compete under the Canadian flag starting from the new season.

On the other hand, Quan did not give up her eligibility to compete as a South Korean athlete.

Even after the team's disbandment, she demonstrated her affection for South Korea by attending various events wearing the South Korean national team uniform. This time, she formalized her intention to continue competing as a South Korean athlete by forming a new team with Korean-American Kim Gi-hyeon.

However, Quan will not be able to compete as a South Korean national team member for the 2026-2027 season.

An official from the Korea Skating Union explained, "Quan was selected as a national team member for the 2026-2027 season alongside Hannah Lim, but lost her national team status upon forming a new team following the disbandment," adding, "Regrettably, according to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee regulations, it is difficult for her to compete in international competitions as part of the South Korean national team this season."

Consequently, the Kim-Quan duo is expected to participate in the national team trials for the 2027-2028 season to challenge for the Taegeuk mark.

Meanwhile, according to officials in the skating community, Kim Gi-hyeon is reportedly planning to recover his South Korean citizenship.

For international competitions hosted by the International Skating Union (ISU), such as the Grand Prix and World Championships, skaters can represent a country based on the nationality of either partner.

However, to compete together as national representatives at the Olympics, both partners must hold the same nationality.

(Photo: Capture of Quan Ye's social media, Yonhap News)