Kim Yu-na Conducts Self-Interview With Dong-A Ilbo

The Dong-A Ilbo asked world figure skating champion Kim Yu-na in its latest interview what questions would she ask if she could interview herself? How would she answer those questions?

The following are excerpts of Kim’s self-interview.

○ Interviewing oneself is most difficult

Kim has been interviewed numerous times but became speechless for a time after hearing the Dong-A’s offer. She looked to the ceiling, and thought to herself for a while. Then she said, “I’d ask myself why I lack thought.”

The question seemed more like self-censure rather than a question. It sounded as if she was reflecting on her failed jump at the free skating competition in Skate America Monday. Without answering the question, she laughingly said, “It was the most difficult question I’ve ever taken.”

○ Life of a normal person

Kim is so famous that she cannot go out in public as she pleases. She said she wants to live the convenient life of a common person. So what would she do if she had a week of free time?

“I’d stay away from sports. I’d want to see how ordinary people live and also live just like them,” she said.

Kim loves figure skating but is apparently exhausted by the sport, having devoted her entire life to it. She is 19 years old and said she wants to chat with friends like most other female college students do.

“I want to chat with others as most do. I like talking, and I have few people, if any, with whom I can chat with in Canada. I want dialogue and I want to know people,” she said.

On her thoughts of a blind group date, Kim said, “I’ve never had a blind date or a blind group date. So I don’t know what they’re like.”

○ Best part of me is my personality

What does Kim think is her best attribute? Her personality.

“I like my personality. I cannot say what type of personality I have, but I think I have a good personality. Please don’t consider this bragging about myself (laughter),” she said.

On the other hand, the thing she wants most is time. “I lack time. I don’t have enough time to exercise, eat, rest and sleep every day,” she said.

The world champion said that if another Kim Yu-na starts learning figure skating, she should learn to jump first beginning with the axel. “It’s the easiest of all,” she said.

○ Most dreaded comment

Kim won Skate America but her combined score was under her target of 200 points. She showed disappointment after her score was announced but was back to her usual smiling self soon.

Kim said she told herself this at that moment, “Yu-na, humans cannot always be perfect. My goal is to compete without making a mistake, but this isn’t always an easy thing to do. It’s no use to cry over a past mistake. Advise your friends not to be afraid and instead move forward. If you made a mistake in this championship, you can do better in the future.”

On what comment she hated the most, Kim said, “Perhaps the worst comment someone could make about me is ‘Don’t grow complacent,’ because Kim Yu-na has never done so.”

creating@donga.com