Seo Beom-su sets unofficial Korean record in 5,000-meter race walk

Seo Beom-su set an unofficial Korean record in the men’s 5,000-meter (3.1-mile) race walk at the World Athletics U20 Championships.

Seo finished eighth in the men’s 5,000-meter race walk final in 19 minutes and 37.37 seconds in Eugene, Oregon, on Sunday. He broke the previous record set by a Korean in April 2000, when Seo Dae-il recorded 20 minutes and 5.01 seconds at the KTFL National Club Athletics Championships.

However, the men’s 5,000-meter race walk is not an Olympic event, so the feat cannot be recognized as an official Korean record.

Seo Beom-su is a member of the Samsung Electronics Athletics Club’s race walking team.

His performance marked a significant achievement and offered a glimpse of the future of Korean race walking. He also became the first Korean athlete in 22 years to finish in the top 10 at the World Athletics U20 Championships.

The last Korean athlete to achieve a top-10 finish at the championships was Kim Hyun-sub, who won bronze in 2004. Kim is currently a coach for the Samsung Electronics Athletics Club’s race walking team.

“I will start competing at the senior level in the second half of this year,” Seo Beom-su said in a statement. “I will also keep working hard without stopping to become a leading race walker of the next generation.”

Australia’s Isaac Beacroft won the event with 18 minutes and 40.37 seconds.

BY KIM YOUNG-JU [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]