Choi Ga-on (Sewha Girls' High School), who won the gold medal in women's snowboard halfpipe at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, will receive substantial rewards. The compensation for her efforts is expected to motivate not only herself but other athletes as well.
According to the Korea Ski and Snowboard Association on the 13th, gold medalist Choi Ga-on will receive 300 million won in prize money. Ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the association established prize amounts of 300 million won for gold, 200 million won for silver, and 100 million won for bronze medals. While there were no medalists at that time, this competition has seen Kim Sang-gyeom win silver (200 million won) and Yoo Seung-eun win bronze (100 million won), followed by Choi Ga-on's gold medal, bringing the confirmed total prize money to 600 million won.
Omega, celebrating its 90th anniversary as an official Olympic timekeeper, will present the "Speedmaster 38mm Olympic Edition Timepiece" valued at 9.5 million won. The watch features a blue ice pattern on a white dial evoking winter. The caseback is engraved with the Milan-Cortina Games emblem and Olympic rings. Since the 2012 London Olympics, Omega has presented Olympic edition watches to Korea's first gold medalists at each Games.
Sewha Girls' High School, under Iljoo Sewha Academy—an educational foundation of Taekwang Group—plans to award a special scholarship to Choi Ga-on, who is set to advance to her senior year. Taekwang Group will finalize the specific amount and presentation schedule through further discussions. Choi Ga-on attended Sewha Girls' Middle School before enrolling at Sewha Girls' High School, where the school has fully covered her registration fees, tuition, and school operation support fees according to internal scholarship regulations.
