On October 12, Cha shared a lengthy message explaining that he had spent considerable time thinking about his future after the end of last season.
“After much thought and consideration, I decided not to continue national team activities or compete this season,” he wrote.
Cha also announced that his contract with the Seoul Metropolitan Government had come to an end following discussions with the city. He thanked Seoul and Seoul City Hall officials for their trust and support over the years.
Looking ahead, Cha said he plans to focus on the opportunities currently in front of him while carefully considering what direction he wants to take in the future.
He also thanked those who have continued to support him, adding that he hopes to greet fans again in a positive way.
Cha recently signed an exclusive contract with Fantagio and has begun expanding his activities outside competitive figure skating, including acting and entertainment opportunities.
Netizen Reactions
The sampled Nate comments were largely supportive, with many acknowledging the physical demands and relatively short competitive window in figure skating. Some commenters interpreted the announcement as a possible move toward entertainment, while others hoped Cha would eventually return to competition.
1. Cha Jun-hwan is already 25... At that age, it’s difficult to improve your results much more even if you keep going ã… Still, he’s a legend in Korean men’s figure skating.
2. Realistically, it’s not easy for a male skater to make a living through figure skating in Korea, so it looks like he’s thinking about his career path. Either way, I’m rooting for him.
3. Finishing fourth at the Olympics was such a shame, but he’s not that old and has great visuals, so I think he’d fit well in dramas and variety shows too. I’m rooting for his second chapter.
4. I guess he is around the age when skaters start thinking about retirement. Kim Yuna retired at 23 too.
5. 25 is young in general, but in figure skating it’s pretty old. Still, he worked so hard. I hope he can finally eat whatever he wants now.
6. Looking at the scores from his last competition, the scoring was incredibly harsh and the judging didn’t look fair, so I did wonder if he might stop skating. Anyone would get exhausted in a system where their hard work doesn’t feel properly rewarded...
7. Honestly, being a celebrity is such a sweet gig. Live comfortably now.
8. Thank you for all your hard work. Thanks to you, we were so happy watching your wonderful performances. It’s hard enough just walking on ice, so I can’t even imagine how difficult it must have been to perform at that level. I’m looking forward to whatever path you take and will be cheering you on. I hope only good things come your way...
9. If he lets go of figure skating, he doesn’t really have much of a foundation outside of it yet...
10. Don’t give up your main career.. ã…‹ã…‹ You shine because you’re a handsome athlete who figure skates. Isn’t going into broadcasting kind of a gamble?
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