Korean national hockey teams granted automatic entry to 2018 Olympics

IIHF president Rene Fasel announced Friday that the Korean men's and women's national ice hockey teams will receive automatic qualification for the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang.

The decision was reached after meetings with the IOC and the Korea Ice Hockey Association during the IIHF Semi-Annual Congress, where the KIHA outlined a four-year plan to grow its ice hockey program. The plan includes over $20 million in investment from various parties, as well as exchange programs and an increase in domestic and international competitions.

“The IIHF is confident that, given the sizeable investment into the men’s and women’s programs, along with the changes in the KIHA’s structure and operations, Korea should have a chance to show the world it is capable of competing at the highest level of international hockey,” said Fasel.

Korean men’s national team head coach Jim Paek - the first Korean-born player to play in the NHL and win the Stanley Cup - was very excited about what the opportunity means for the future of hockey in Korea.

“Korean hockey has been working for a long time for this opportunity, and to have this presented to us today is overwhelming,” said Paek. “I don’t want to make any promises but as long as we focus on the process every day to get better I think we’ll be very competitive and hopefully we’ll represent the country well.”

The 2018 Olympic Games will take place from February 9-25.