This image, provided by HL Group on March 27, 2025, shows the cover of the memoirs by former Korea Ice Hockey Association President Chung Mong-won, titled “Korea Plays Ice Hockey, Too.” (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 27 (Korea Bizwire) — Chung Mong-won, chairman of HL Group and former head of the Korea Ice Hockey Association (KIHA), has published a memoir on his life in the sport.
HL Group, with businesses in the construction and automobile industries, said Thursday that the book, titled “Korea Plays Ice Hockey, Too,” covers Chung’s three decades in ice hockey, a niche sport at best in the country.
Chung’s career in sports administration culminated in his induction into the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame in 2020. He remains the only Korean member of the Hall of Fame.
Chung, 69, founded Anyang Halla — currently HL Anyang — as the first pro hockey team in South Korea in 1994 and played an instrumental role in creating the Asia League Ice Hockey in 2003. HL Anyang evolved into an eight-time Asia League champion.
Chung became KIHA’s vice president in 2010 and then took over as president in 2013. He served in that role until February 2021.
On Chung’s watch, the men’s national team hired Jim Paek, former National Hockey League defenseman and two-time Stanley Cup champion, as head coach. South Korea then earned its first-ever promotion to the highest level of the IIHF World Championship for 2018.
According to HL Group, Chung penned the book from the perspective of a hockey fan, not as an administrator. His time with HL Anyang and the national team forms the core of the memoir, highlighted by behind-the-scenes stories. Chung also added a guide for new hockey fans in an appendix.
“It’s all thanks to fans that ice hockey in South Korea has survived despite challenging circumstances,” Chung said. “I wrote this book to show my appreciation for those fans and also to help more people take interest in ice hockey.”
(Yonhap)
