Seoul to Host Short Track World Tour Event in November

Seoul will host the third leg of the 2026-27 International Skating Union Short Track World Tour next month, bringing the circuit back to South Korea after the country sat out the event calendar last season.

The competition will take place at Mokdong Ice Rink in western Seoul from Nov. 20 to 22, the Korea Skating Union announced Wednesday. The meet is one of the major international stops on the season-long short track circuit and will feature races across the men’s, women’s and mixed categories.

Each World Tour stop includes four men’s events and four women’s events, along with one mixed event. That program will give Seoul spectators a broad look at the speed, tactical positioning and team coordination that define elite short track competition.

South Korea is expected to field a team led by two of its most accomplished active skaters. Choi Min-jeong, the country’s most decorated Olympian with seven career medals, is scheduled to compete. Kim Gil-li, who earned two gold medals and one bronze medal at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games earlier this year, is also due to take part. Their presence will make the home event a significant showcase for a national team that has long been one of the sport’s leading powers.

The Seoul competition will follow the opening stages of the World Tour in Canada. The season begins in Vancouver this week, followed by a second stop in Montreal from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. Teams will then travel to South Korea for the November races.

The Korea Skating Union also plans to expand the event beyond the action on the ice. It said interactive programs will be organized around the rink, while K-pop-themed activities will combine the sporting competition with elements of Korean popular culture. The approach is intended to give spectators a broader event experience during the three-day meet.

The World Tour is now entering its third season under its current name after previously operating as the Short Track World Cup. South Korea hosted the fourth leg of the inaugural revamped season in December 2024, but it did not stage a World Tour event during the 2025-26 campaign.

The return to Mokdong Ice Rink gives local fans another opportunity to see top international skaters in person while placing Seoul back on the calendar of a prominent winter sports series.