Joo Jeong-hun becomes Korea's 1st Paralympic taekwondo medalist

 

Joo Jeong-hun, right, competes with Russia's Isaldibirov Magomedzagir in Tokyo Paralympics taekwondo 75kg class bronze medal match held at Makuhari Messe Hall in Chiba Prefecture, Sept. 3. Yonhap

South Korea's Joo Jeong-hun on Friday became the country's first Paralympic medalist in taekwondo.

Joo, 27, won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Paralympics after beating Isaldibirov Magomedzagir of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) in the taekwondo 75kg class bronze medal match held keonhacai Makuhari Messe Hall in Chiba Prefecture.

Joo participated in the event for athletes with sport class 44 that includes athletes with unilateral arm amputation or equivalent loss of function, or loss of toes that impacts the ability to lift the heel properly.

Taekwondo, one of the national sports of South Korea, became an official Paralympic sport at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics for the first time.

At the Tokyo Paralympics, there were only events for athletes with sport class K43 or K44.

K43 includes athletes with bilateral amputation below the elbow, or equivalent loss of function in both upper limbs

Joo plans to take part in the 2024 Paris Paralympics. (Yonhap)