[Anchor]

Kang Jun-i, the 17-year-old who became the first-ever South Korean skateboarding gold medalist at the Asian Games the day before yesterday (September 27), held a press conference, showcasing thoughts and remarks that were far beyond his years. He expressed his profound affection for the sport with a quirky yet deep metaphor, saying, "Skateboarding is like sleep."

Hong Seok-jun reports from the scene.

[Reporter]

Overcoming two previous failures and pulling off a dramatic come-from-behind victory in his final, do-or-die third attempt to secure South Korea's first-ever skateboarding gold medal, Kang Jun-i could not sleep until dawn due to the overwhelming lingering excitement.

[Kang Jun-i / National Skateboard Team:]
I managed to get just about two to three hours of sleep before coming here.

He also shared the back story of shedding tears like a child upon seeing his mother right after his gold medal was confirmed.

[Kang Jun-i / National Skateboard Team:]
It was kind of like thinking, 'Mom, I've finally done it.' I cried because I was so happy, feeling like I was finally filial to my parents.

Perhaps due to the nature of a sport that demands creativity, when asked what skateboarding means to him, he gave a completely unexpected answer.

[Kang Jun-i / National Skateboard Team:]
(Skateboarding) is probably like sleep. Sometimes you don't want to go to sleep, but you still have to sleep anyway. Similarly, sometimes when the tricks aren't working out, you might not want to skate, but you still have to do it anyway.

Having grown up in poor training conditions and rising to the top by defeating powerhouse Japanese athletes, Kang Jun-i vowed to stand at the very highest podium at the Olympics two years from now.

[Kang Jun-i / National Skateboard Team:]
(Japanese athletes) felt like walls that could never be surpassed, but my biggest goal is to create even harder and more complex tricks and successfully land them all at the LA Olympics.

He also sent words of encouragement to those who, like him, have fallen countless times.

[Kang Jun-i / National Skateboard Team:]
I hope you will persevere steadfastly, and if you just keep going as you have been, I'm sure you will achieve everything you desire.

Having drawn closer to his childhood dream of becoming the world's number one skater, Kang Jun-i is now racing toward yet another "gold-winning trick."

(Camera Reporter: Park Jin-ho | Video Editor: Kim Jun-hee | Designer: Hwang Se-yeon)