It runs in their blood: How S. Korean archery hits the bull's eye

Two months after the country’s archers bagged seven medals at the Paris Olympics, shooting fever is still running high.

- Wendy Teo

On a Sunday afternoon at a field next to the Anyang stream in south-west Seoul, two rows of rookie archers stood at attention.

The first row of 10 students took aim at the target board, a very modest 3m away, stretched their bows and released their arrows at the command of instructor Cho Kyung-seok.

The students in the back row mimicked the same movements with their bare hands. There was simply not enough space for everyone to shoot at the same time at Mokdong Archery Club.

Two months after South Korean archers won seven medals at the Paris Olympic Games, shooting fever is still running high.

The country is the undisputed world champion in archery, having bagged a record-high 50 Olympic medals - 32 gold, 10 silver and eight bronze in the sport - since 1984.

Every time the Games roll around, many South Koreans become inspired to pick up the bow and arrow and take aim at becoming the next big shooting star, thronging cafes and clubs dedicated to the sport.

Demand for classes at Mokdong Archery Club, the largest outdoor range in Seoul, has nearly tripled in the last two months according to Mr Kim Jung, who has managed the club for 23 years.

“This has always been the case after each Olympic tournament,” said Mr Kim, who declined to speak further as he was tired of the surge in public inquiries and did not want any more publicity.

ARCHERY’S APPEAL

At the Archery Centre in Seoul’s Sinsa neighbourhood, the staff say they have seen a near 50 per cent increase in footfall since South Korea’s recent Olympic triumph.

At the centre was Ms Jung In-hee, 25, trying out archery for the first time with her friend, Ms Hong Su-yeon, 28.

“My younger sibling came to this cafe to try out archery after the Olympics and told me it was a lot of fun, so I wanted to have a go at it myself,” said Ms Jung.