Hwang Kyung-soo (76), president of the Korean Ssireum Association, called the “godfather of the wrestling world,” was at the center of the golden age of wrestling, a popular sport in the 1980s and 1990s. He is also famous as the leader who unearthed the ‘ssireum emperor’ Lee Man-ki (currently a professor at Inje University). In 1985, he also served as the founding director of the Hyundai Elephant Ssireum Team. It was he who led Kang Ho-dong, now a popular entertainer, to walk the path of wrestling by transferring him to Masan Middle School, where he was confident.
He started as a wrestler, went through a leader, an administrator, and was elected the 43rd president of the Korea Ssireum Association in 2021.
Chairman Hwang, who has been in his third year in power, said in a recent written interview with this magazine, “There are many players who do not lag behind Lee Man-gi and Kang Ho-dong,” and expected the birth of a new wrestling star. Ssireum, which was once popular with the nation as a traditional sport unique to the nation, continued its existence as a league of its own that fans disappeared for a while. Recently, young wrestlers with warm looks and strong muscles are gaining popularity through YouTube and entertainment, bringing a new wind to the wrestling world.
In fact, the wrestling world is still thirsty for a ‘star’ to the point of fighting against the big shadows of Lee Man-gi and Kang Ho-dong. Chairman Hwang predicted positively, saying, “There are many players who show potential comparable to Lee Man-gi and Kang Ho-dong.” Chairman Hwang, who first thought of Kim Min-jae (Yeongam-gun Office), said, “It was the first time since Man-ki Lee that he became a world champion as a college student in 37 years.” He praised him as a wrestling monster that is scary enough to make you think that he is a world market leader.” Not only Kim Min-jae, but also most of the players have good looks and physiques, as well as skills, and he was evaluated as a ‘star candidate’. Above all, I have high expectations because they are players who do not neglect training to show better performance and skills,” he emphasized.
After all, stars are made by fans and attention. Chairman Hwang said, “Lee Man-gi and Kang Ho-dong were also able to become famous nationwide thanks to the public’s high interest in wrestling and the media’s focus on wrestling at the time.”
The empty seats in the stadium are also filled up. The age of fans has also become younger, and above all, the increase in female fans is noticeable. The frequency of exposure of wrestling to the public has also increased significantly through social networking services (SNS) and entertainment. Here, there is more positive news in the ssireum aiming for a revival in 2023. In January, the MG Saemaul Geumgo Ssireum Team was founded. It is a corporate team formed about 7 years after the Hyundai Elephant Ssireum Team was disbanded in 2016. Currently, there are 19 men’s wrestling teams, which boasts a considerable number of unemployed teams compared to other sports, but the only corporate team is the MG Saemaul Geumgo Ssireum Team.
In addition, the ‘K-Ssireum Promotion Plan’ announced by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the beginning of the year with the goal of making Ssireum a new leap forward as a representative sports brand in Korea added strength to the ‘Ssireum Resurrection Project’.스포츠토토
Ssireum has been shunned by fans as it has become a weight class fight created by the difference in overwhelming physique or strength. It is also a task to bring back the thrill of Ssireum, that a small player can beat a big player, to the sand board. President Hwang said, “Recently, as skill wrestling gradually spreads in the field, many players with muscular physiques have appeared, and they are pleasing the eyes of the fans watching.”
Chairman Hwang, who was born in 1947 and is in his late 70s, said, “The journey for the revival of wrestling has now begun.” Whatever it is for the development of wrestling, I will run to wherever it is,” he expressed affection.