FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
LA’S KOREATOWN WELCOMES OLYMPIC MEDALIST SIMON CHO
Los Angeles, CA (July 29, 2010) – Olympic bronze medalist Simon Cho was welcomed with a special dinner in the Koreatown district of Los Angeles last night, with the short-track speedskater feted by locals and joined by a few lucky fans at a Korean barbecue restaurant.
The 18-year-old Korean American’s participation in the recently concluded Vancouver Olympic Games earned the U.S. team the bronze in the 5000-meter relay event, and has been a source of pride for Asian Americans everywhere.
Currently a resident of Salt Lake City, Cho is visiting Los Angeles during a week-long hiatus from his rigorous training schedule. He spoke with a group of entrepreneurs in Anaheim and did an interview in downtown Los Angeles earlier in the day before slowing down to relax and enjoy an evening in Koreatown.
Tiger Joo, owner of LA Hanin Fitness, sponsored the event and coordinated with the Twitter account of the Koreatown community to gather residents of the Los Angeles area, including a select group of fans, who were interested in meeting the athlete. Among the attendees were singer Paul Kim and actor Richard Chiu.
Paul Kim, who is most recognized for his being a finalist in the sixth season of American Idol, casually chatted about future opportunities with Cho after the athlete expressed interest in entering the entertainment industry. Actor Richard Chiu was eager to meet the Olympian after cheering him on during the Winter Games and described him as “a fantastic young gentleman.”
Simon Cho appeared to have appreciated the warm welcome, describing Koreatown as “comforting” and “a familiar setting.” He explained that coming to Los Angeles was not purely for business reasons, but was also because of a fondness for the atmosphere and variety that the metropolis has to offer.
Cho said, “Salt Lake City isn’t very diverse, whereas when I come to Los Angeles, I see people from very different kinds of backgrounds. I really love Los Angeles.”
###
Media Contact: Jean Ortiz-Luis
Phone number: 562.412.5753
Email: j_ortizluis [at] yahoo.com
