South Korean media treating American gold medalist as one of their own

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South Korean media treating Chloe Kim as one of their own

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WATCH US snowboarder Chloe Kim wins half-pipe Olympic gold medal

U.S.-born Chloe Kim blew away the competition in becoming the youngest ever to win a gold medal in halfpipe snowboarding.

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The 17-year-old, who scored an astonishing 98.75 on her final run, is attracting fans from around the world — including from South Korea, where her father lived before emigrating to the U.S. in 1982.

PHOTO: Snowboarder Chloe Kim attends a press conference at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 8, 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea. — Snowboarder Chloe Kim attends a press conference at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 8, 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

"It means a lot just being able to do it where my family is from," Kim said during a press conference after her record-setting performance. "A lot of pressure, but I'm happy I was able to do it here and do it for the fans and the family. It was a really fun moment for everyone."

PHOTO: Chloe Kim wins the gold for the womens halfpipe finals snowboarding competition in Phoenix Snow Park during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, Feb. 13, 2018, in Pyeongchang, South Korea. — Chloe Kim wins the gold for the women's halfpipe finals snowboarding competition in Phoenix Snow Park during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, Feb. 13, 2018, in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Local media in South Korea have published several stories about the proud Korean-American, giving her as bright a spotlight as many of the host country's own atheletes.

PHOTO: Gold medalist Chloe Kim of the U.S. poses during the medal ceremony for the snowboard ladies halfpipe final on day four of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Medal Plaza, Feb. 13, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. — Gold medalist Chloe Kim of the U.S. poses during the medal ceremony for the snowboard ladies' halfpipe final on day four of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Medal Plaza, Feb. 13, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.

Chosun Ilbo, a newspaper with a circulation of about 1.8 million, published a closeup of Kim sticking her tongue out, with the caption: "Chloe Kim, who once scored 100 out of 100, shows off technique at a whole different level."

PHOTO: Chloe Kim of the U.S. competes during ladies halfpipe finals of snowboard at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games at Phoenix Snow Park in PyeongChang, South Korea, on Feb. 13, 2018. — Chloe Kim of the U.S. competes during ladies' halfpipe finals of snowboard at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games at Phoenix Snow Park in PyeongChang, South Korea, on Feb. 13, 2018.

Seoul Broadcasting System aired a two-minute documentary on Kim after she won gold, featuring the first time, in 2016, when she landed back-to-back 1080 spins. The broadcast piece announced her as "Sun Kim," her name in Korean.

PHOTO: Chloe Kim, of the U.S., wipes away a tear after winning gold in the womens halfpipe finals at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Feb. 13, 2018. — Chloe Kim, of the U.S., wipes away a tear after winning gold in the women's halfpipe finals at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Feb. 13, 2018.

Kim's fans also took to social media to show their admiration for her incredible performance. Actor Park Seo Joon uploaded a screencap of Kim and wrote, "This is unbelievable …"

PHOTO: Chloe Kim of the U.S. celebrates her victory with her parents at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. — Chloe Kim of the U.S. celebrates her victory with her parents at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

PHOTO: Chloe Kim — SLIDESHOW: Best photos from the 2018 Winter Olympics: Day 4

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Source – abcnews.go.com

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