Korean Dressage Legend Jung Kyun Suh Passed Away Unexpectedly

Dressage

Korea

Jung Kyun Suh, a legend for Korean Dressage and probably the most successful Asian dressage rider to date, passed away unexpectedly on 12 March 2025. He was 62 years old.

Asian Record Setter

Born on 31 December 1962, Suh had an international competition career as rider that spanned from the 1980s till the 2000s.

He achieved the highest Olympic ranking by South Korean equestrian athlete to date and collected the most gold medals at Asian Games, six, which is a tying record for the most ever earned by a Korean athlete in any sport discipline.

Time in Germany

In order to hone his dressage skills, Suh travelled to Germany and trained with Reiner Klimke and Ralf Isselhorst, which became transformative for his career.

He achieved his first team and individual gold at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul aboard the Oldenburg bred Sunway (by Samun xx x Vollkorn xx).

In 1987 Suh obtained the ride on Klimke's 1974 born and Dutch bred liver chestnut Pascal (by Stranger xx) with whom Reiner won team gold and placed fourth individually at the 1986 World Championships in Cedar Valley, Canada. The Korean learnt from Reiner's schoolmaster and this led to unprecedented success. The horse received the prefix "Samsung" and went by the name Samsung Pascal to honour the sponsor.

At the 1988 Seoul Olympics he and Pascal ranked 10th individually, the highest placing ever achieved by a South Koreanathlete at the Olympics so far. He rode Pascal to a 6th place in the 1989 CDIO Aachen Grand Prix and placed 12th in the 1989 World Cup Finals in Gothenburg, the first-ever South Korean entry in the event and to date, the only Korean to make it to the World Cup Finals.

Suh maintained his connection with Germany and visited regularly to brush up his riding skills.

Asian Games Glory

For Asian athletes the Asian Games are the biggest international championships after the Olympics.

Suh went on to team silver at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima on a horse named Calm. At the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games he collected double gold again. At the 2002 Busan Asian Games there was team gold and individual silver on horse Anycall.

In his last Asian Games in 2006 in Doha he rode Danish warmblood Caleostro (by Wonnetou x Windsor) to team gold. He took over the ride on this grey from a student of Danish Anne-Grete Tornblad.

Versatile

Suh did not limit himself to dressage but was also a keen show jumper.

He achieved 15 national championship podium places and has a impressive record of winning medals in both dressage and show jumping between 1985 and 2004.

Trainer

He owned Chung Hak equestrian center, which became a leading riding stable that trained the next generation of Korean dressage athletes.

Jung Kyun Suh in 2024
(Photo © Kemmi Alpha)

Amongst his students were Olympian Dong Seon Kim and Olympian and Asian Games' winner Jun Sang Choi, as well as Asian Championship winner Dong Heon Nam, and Korean champion Hyeok Kim, amongst others.

Sudden Passing

Suh passed away suddenly from a stroke.

"Mr. Suh’s dedication to coaching and cultivating future talent left a lasting impact on our sport," one of his students posted. He is also described as "the most renowned figure in the (Korean) equine industry."

The Korea Equestrian Federation held a memorial service on 13 March 2025, at 8:00 p.m. at the Seoul Asan Medical Center.