Paralympic Champion Kim Yoon-ji Receives $500,000 Prize and Gold Medal After Five Gold Wins

Kim Yoon-ji, who won five medals at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics, received 500 million won in prize money and a 20-don pure gold medal from the Korea Disabled Nordic Ski Federation on March 21, 2026.

The award was presented by Bae Dong-hyun, president of the Korea Disabled Nordic Ski Federation, in recognition of her record-breaking performance at the Games. Kim Yoon-ji secured two gold medals and three silver medals in cross-country skiing and biathlon events, marking the highest medal haul ever achieved by a single Korean athlete across both the Olympics and Paralympics.

This achievement also represents the first time a Korean athlete has won multiple gold medals at the Winter Paralympics. Her success in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo built upon a personal journey that began in early childhood, when she started swimming at age three for rehabilitation purposes due to a congenital disability.

Kim Yoon-ji has maintained a long-standing connection with the Purme Foundation, which established rehabilitation facilities near her home in 2016 when she was an elementary school student. These included the Nexon Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital and the Mapo Purme Sports Center, where she participated in water therapy and swimming classes that helped foster her athletic aspirations.

On April 16, 2026, Kim Yoon-ji was further honored with a merit plaque and a special player award from the Purme Foundation and the Korea Sports Journalists Federation for her contributions to the development of sports for people with disabilities. The ceremony took place in the conference room of the Purme Foundation, where she expressed hope that disabled children would find joy and opportunity through sports, saying, “In addition to rehabilitation, I hope you can have fun and dream of moving to a wider world while experiencing various experiences such as exercise.”

The 500 million won prize money aligns with the financial recognition previously reported for her Paralympic success, confirming the amount awarded by the Korea Disabled Nordic Ski Federation. No other financial incentives or medal bonuses from international bodies were referenced in the verified sources regarding her 2026 Paralympic performance.