South Korean figure skating men's singles star Cha Junhwan has abruptly announced that he will temporarily suspend his athletic career.

Late last night (October 12), Cha shared on his social media, "After finishing last season, I thought and worried a lot about my future activities," adding, "After much consideration, I have decided not to continue my national team activities and competition appearances this season."

He stated, "I will do my best with the tasks given to me now and carefully ponder what kind of path to take moving forward," and added, "I sincerely thank everyone who has always supported me and been a source of strength."

Cha was originally scheduled to compete in two Grand Prix series events this season, but he is expected to give up his participation.

Having led South Korean men's figure skating for a long time, Cha is known to have deliberated on whether to continue his competitive career after finishing fourth at the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics this year.

Last April, he signed a management contract with an entertainment agency, and in August, he starred as the lead in the ice show "Solo Leveling on ICE," expanding his scope of activities into pop culture.

Cha is expected to halt his athletic career for the time being and focus on pop culture activities, raising attention as to whether this is effectively an retirement procedure or if he will return to the ice after recharging for a single season.

(Video Editing: Park Ki-deok)