Blue-eyed athlete to join Korea's national luge team

A foreign player is expected to join the national luge team, followed by ice-hockey and biathlon.

According to the Korea Luge Federation on Thursday, the Nationality Deliberative Committee of the Ministry of Justice stated on Nov. 7 that it found no legal issues in granting Korean citizenship to Aileen Frisch (photo), a former German national team player.

As Frisch was endorsed for special naturalization by the Korean Olympic Committee in June, she needs to have an interview with the Ministry of Justice. “We are currently scheduling the interview date with the Korea Luge Federation, and will meet Frisch as soon as she arrives in Korea," a ministry official said. “Frisch will arrive no later than mid-December," a federation staff said. "If she obtains the South Korean citizenship, she will contest from next January and wears the national uniform with the Korean flag.”

The luge events for winter Olympics are categorized into bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge. Unlike bobsleigh and skeleton events, which Korean players will vie for medals in the 2018 Winter Olympics, the national luge team still needs competent athletes. To this end, Korea's national luge team coach Steffen Sartor pulled up his sleeves to scout Frisch. Though Frisch is a two-time winner of the Junior World Championships, she retired last year after failing to enter the German adult team. “Luge in Germany can be compared to archery in Korea," said an insider of the luge federation. "In Germany, people say that being selected as a national team member is much difficult than getting a medal in international competitions.”

Kyu-In Hwang kini@donga.com