The achievement of winning Korea's first gold medal in skiing was replaced by a single line of 'subtitles'.
Choi Ga-on, the 'genius girl' of snowboarding, hung the first gold medal in the history of Korean skiing around her neck at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. However, the exclusive broadcaster JTBC faced fierce criticism from viewers for not live broadcasting the historic victory moment and focusing on popular events instead.
On the 13th (Korean time), Choi Ga-on topped the podium with an overwhelming score of 90.25 points in the women's halfpipe final held at the Livigno Snowpark in Italy. This was the first gold medal for the South Korean delegation in this competition and a historic event that opened a new horizon for Korean winter sports.
The problem is that this emotional moment was not properly conveyed to the living rooms. While Choi Ga-on's final match was taking place, JTBC's main channel focused on the short track semifinals. As a result, the decisive moment when Choi Ga-on secured the gold medal was only handled as a 'subtitle breaking news' at the bottom of the screen.
Of course, the match was broadcasted through the paid channel 'JTBC Golf&Sports', but it seems difficult to avoid criticism for shifting the programming to a cable channel with low accessibility, rather than ensuring universal viewing rights on terrestrial broadcasting.
Viewer reactions are cold. Online communities and social media are filled with comments like, "Do we have to see the historic moment of Korea's first gold medal in skiing as subtitles?", "This clearly shows the drawbacks of exclusive broadcasting", and "Is short track the only Olympic event?"
Choi Ga-on's gold medal is even more meaningful as it was achieved by overcoming the struggles of an unpopular sport. However, there are criticisms that the ratings-centric and convenience-driven programming of the broadcasting rights holder overshadowed the moment of the birth of an Olympic hero, and the controversy is expected to continue for the time being.
