Cha Jun-hwan (Korean: 차준환; born October 21, 2001) is a South Koreanfigure skater. He is the2023 World silver medalist, the2022 Four Continents champion, the2025 Four Continents silver medalist, the2024 Four Continents bronze medalist, the2018–2019 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, a six-timeGrand Prix medalist (6 bronze), a five-timeISU Challenger Series medalist (2 gold and 3 silver), the2025 Asian Winter Games champion, the2025 World University Games bronze medalist, as well as a nine-time consecutiveSouth Korean national champion (2017–2025). He represented South Korea at the2018 Winter Olympics and the2022 Winter Olympics. At the junior level, Cha is the2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalist and a two-timeJunior Grand Prix gold medalist.
Cha is the first South Korean man to win and to medal at theFour Continents Championships and theAsian Winter Games, as well as the first to medal at theWorld Championships,Grand Prix Final,Junior Grand Prix Final, and any senior Grand Prix event.
Cha Jun-hwan was born inSeoul.[2] He attendedWhimoon Middle and High School[3][4] and enrolled atKorea University as a Global Sport student in 2020.[5] Cha has a brother who is four years older than him,[6] and he speaks English fluently.[7] He also has a cat named Thor.[8]
Having learned various skills such as ballet, swimming, violin and piano to become a more versatile actor,[9] Cha also began skating at age seven during a special class held at a public rink near his home over the school break.[10] Although he initially started withshort-track speed skating, he later switched to figure skating, which he found more engaging. After the class ended, he decided to pursue figure skating seriously.[11] He later said that while skating, he "liked the wind"[6] and "felt the freeness," which was "so impactful" that he continued learning skating and decided to become an athlete.[12] His first coach was former South Korean Olympic competitorShin Hea-sook,[13] and his skating idols wereEvgeni Plushenko andDaisuke Takahashi.[14]
Cha placed fourth as a junior skater at the2011 South Korean Championships. In 2012, he won the junior level at theSouth Korean Championships. In the 2012–13 season, he took the novice gold medal at theAsian Trophy and repeated as the junior champion at theSouth Korean Championships. He placed fifth at the senior level at the2014 Korean Championships. This was his first senior experience at national championships.[15] During the2014–15 season, Cha won the novice gold medal at theMerano Cup and the senior bronze medal at theSouth Korean Championships. In March 2015, he began training inToronto underBrian Orser to improve his jumps, including the tripleAxel andquads.[16]
Cha earned a spot on the national team for the first time after combining his scores from the two major domestic competitions, the 2014 Ranking Competition and the2015 Korean Championships.[17] In August, he competed in the Korean qualifying competition for theJunior Grand Prix, but due to the lingering effects of anankle fracture, he did not make the list of selected athletes. Later, reflecting on this experience, he said, "I pushed myself to compete with an unhealed body, but I didn't lower the difficulty of my program. It was an inevitable result." He went on to add, "It was reckless, but I worked hard nonetheless."[11]
Making his junior international debut, Cha won gold at the2015 Skate Canada Autumn Classic by over 30 points. Despite a deduction, he landed his first triple Axel in an international competition.[18] At the 2015 Ranking Competition in South Korea, he claimed his first senior-level win with a total score of 220.40 points, setting a new national record for Korean men's singles.[9] Competing with anear infection at the2016 South Korean Championships, he won the senior national bronze medal again.[19]
In February, Cha represented South Korea at the2016 Winter Youth Olympics, becoming the youngest member of the South Korean team.[20] He placed fourth in the short program, fifth in the free skating, and fifth overall.[15] In the team event, Cha competed for Team Courage, earning a season's best 139.97 points in the free skate to place third individually,[21] while the team finished sixth overall.[22] In March, Cha competed at the2016 World Junior Championships. He placed seventh in the short program with 74.38 points and sixth in the free skate with 132.73 points. In both segments, he successfully landed the triple Axel and received GOE for the first time at an international competition.[23][24] With a total score of 207.11 points, he finished seventh overall.[21]
Starting the 2016–17 season, Cha placed first at the Korean qualifying competition for theJunior Grand Prix, earning two spots on the circuit.[25] He made his Junior Grand Prix debut at theJGP Japan, scoring a personal best of 79.34 points in the short program and placing second. In the free skate, he scored another personal best of 160.13 points by landing a quadruple Salchow with a 2.0 GOE,[26] making him the first Korean male skater to successfully land a quad jump in an ISU international competition and the youngest male skater in the world to do so at the time.[27] His combined total of 239.47 points set a new world record for junior men's combined total score, earning him the gold medal.[26] Cha then won his second gold medal at the2016 JGP Germany, becoming the first Korean male skater to win two consecutive Junior Grand Prix titles,[28] which qualified him for the2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final.
One week later, Cha earned his second consecutive win at the 2016 Ranking Competition held in South Korea.[29] In the2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final, he fell on the combination jump in the short program causing a large point loss, but completed the other elements without major errors to place fourth. In the free program, he placed third by successfully performing most elements, except for a fall on the second triple flip. He won the bronze medal, becoming the first Korean male skater to medal at theJunior Grand Prix Final.[15][30] Cha reflected on his first Junior Grand Prix circuit, saying, "I learned a lot from it." He mentioned that he realized it's important to "enjoy the competition" and "maintain rhythm during the performance."[31]
In January, Cha won his first national title at the2017 South Korean Championships.[32] At the2017 World Junior Championships in March, he earned a personal best of 82.34 points in the short program, placing second. He added two quad Salchows in the free program unlike previous competitions.[33] He successfully completed the first quadruple combination jump but fell on the second solo quad jump, scoring 160.11 points. He finished fifth overall with a personal best total of 242.45 points,[15] which ranks fifth onthe list of highest junior men's combined totals through the 2017–18 season.
Cha made his senior debut at age 15 as he was invited to twoGrand Prix events. In July, he competed in the first-round Olympic qualifying event, but a hip injury him the third, and nearly 20 points behind the leader.[34] He then suffered a series of ankle and wrist injuries and finished ninth at2017 Skate Canada.[35] Cha withdrew from2017 Skate America to focus on the second-round Olympic qualifying and the 2017 Ranking Competition.[36]
He finished second at the aforementioned event, but was 27.54 points behind the leader after the combined scores from the first and second rounds.[34] However, Cha went on to win the third-round qualifying and2018 South Korea Championships to become the second consecutive national champion. He was selected to represent South Korea at the Olympic after overtaking the leader by 2.13 points with the combined scores from first through third rounds.[37][34]
Cha competed at the2018 Winter Olympics Games in Pyeongchang at the age of 16, the youngest competitor in the men's event and the youngest male athlete in any sport on the South Korea team. He arrived late to the athletes' village after being quarantined due to the flu, but competed inthe team event, finishing sixth in person and ninth as a team.[38] Inthe men's event, he scored a personal best 83.43 in the short program to become a South Korean man to qualify for the Olympic free skate in 20 years. He scored 165.16 in the free program and 248.59 for a total score, all personal bests, and a 15th-place finish, the best Olympic result for a South Korean male skater.[39] He was scheduled to compete at the2018 World Junior Championships, but withdrew to recover from an injury.[40]
Cha performed his short program to the balletCinderella on his coach's recommendation, which he said the choreography was enjoyable. For his free skate he choseRomeo + Juliet himself, a program he had wanted to skate two years ago. He said it was better to perform it this season and was satisfied with the modern-style program and its character.[41] Cha began his season at the2018 Autumn Classic, where he won the silver medal with a total score of 259.78 points, his first senior international medal. He placed second in the short program with 90.56 points and first in the free skate with 169.22 points. All three scores were personal bests, and he landed a quadruple toe loop and a triple Lutz–triple loop combination.[42][43] He later won another silver medal at the2018 Finlandia Trophy with a total score of 239.19 points.[44]
At his firstGrand Prixassignment, the2018 Skate Canada, he placed third in the short program and third in the free skate to win the bronze medal overall, landing two clean quadruple salchows across both segments of the competition. With this finish, Cha became the second-ever South Korean figure skater to win a Grand Prix medal, afterYuna Kim, and the first-ever South Korean man to make the podium at a Grand Prix.[45] Cha then won a second bronze medal at2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki with a total of 243.19 points,[46] making him the first-ever South Korean man to win two medals on the Grand Prix series. These two bronze medals qualified him for the2018 Grand Prix Final, making him the first South Korean man to do so and the first from his country since Kim.[47]
Cha concluded the Grand Prix series at the Final, placing fourth in the short program and third in the free skate. This won him the bronze medal, earning personal bests of 174.42 points in the free skate and 263.49 points in total. He is the first South Korean man to win a Grand Prix Final medal and the second South Korean skater to do so since Kim.[48][47] Following the Final, Cha competed in domestic events over the next three weeks, winning the Seoul qualifying round of the Winter Sports Festival and the 2018 Ranking Competition. He then took his third consecutive South Korean national title.[49]
At the2019 Four Continents Championships he placed second in the short program with a personal best of 97.33 points, winning a small silver medal.[50] He struggled in the free skate, where six of his jumps were called underrotated. He placed eighth in the free skate and dropped to sixth place overall.[15] Two weeks later, he competed in the high school division of the Winter Sports Festival held in South Korea, finishing first. Despite the physical strain, he said, "Last season my condition was not good and I withdrew from many competitions. This season I decided to compete in all the scheduled competitions."[51] He concluded his season at the2019 World Figure Skating Championships, placing eighteenth in both the short program and free skate to finish nineteenth overall.[15] After the free skate, he noted that his goal for the season had been to compete in many events so that he "persevered until the end," adding that although there were mistakes he had tried his best throughout. He also described the season as meaningful and mentioned "I learned a lot and grew. I will continue to work hard."[52]
Beginning the season, Cha's short program came from his request to his choreographer to skate an unfamiliartango.[53] For his free skate, he explained, "This is kind of my story," saying that he intended to portray a person learning about the world and growing through emotions such as happiness, joy, and sadness.[54][55] His first event of the season was the2019 CS Autumn Classic International, where Cha attempted the quadflip in competition for the first time. He was fourth overall in the competition after several jumps were called underrotated.[56] At his firstGrand Prix assignment,2019 Skate America, Cha doubled his planned quad in the short program placing seventh.[57] Multiple falls in the free skate dropped him to eighth overall.[58] At the2019 Cup of China, he began the short program in eleventh place but rebounded in the free skate, finishing sixth overall.[59]
After competing in domestic events, he won the 2019 Ranking Competition for the fourth time and claimed his fourth consecutive national title at the2020 South Korean Championships. Following that, Cha competed at the2020 Four Continents Championships, held in Seoul. He earned a season's best in the short program despite underrotating his triple Axel attempt.[60] In the free skate, he landed all his jumps and received level 4 on all his other elements, but four of his jumps were called underrotated, which left him off the podium.[61] Cha was assigned to represent South Korea at2020 World Championships but the competition was cancelled due tocoronavirus pandemic.[62]
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted long-term changes to Cha's training situation as he could no longer reside in Canada, where he had trained since 2015.[63] He was assigned to compete at the2020 Skate Canada International, but the event was also cancelled as a result of the pandemic.[64] From mid-February, he competed while enduringback pain and amuscle tear in his leg.[65] Cha's first event of the season was the2021 South Korean Championships held in late February, where he won his fifth consecutive title. He was assigned to Korea's lone men's berth at the2021 World Championships inStockholm.[66]
At the 2021 Ranking Competition held in March, he made several mistakes and finished in second place. It was the first time since the 2017 Ranking Competition that he missed winning a domestic competition.[67] Two weeks later, at the2021 World Championships, Cha placed eighth in the short program.[68] For the free skate, he adjusted the program to prioritize stability, but errors had him place thirteenth in that segment. Still, he held tenth overall[69] and qualified one berth for Korea at the2022 Winter Olympics, with the possibility of a second to be earned later.[70][65]
Cha began his Olympic season by selecting one of the pieces recommended by fans in a message book for his short program, creating a story in which an orchestra conductor travels through time to find missing members. For his free program, he usedTurandot, an opera piece he had originally chosen for the 2020–21 season but could not receive the choreography due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[55][71] Cha's first competition of the season was the Olympic test event, the2021 Asian Open inBeijing, where he placed sixth.[15] His firstGrand Prix assignment was initially the2021 Cup of China, but following its cancellation he was reassigned to the2021 Gran Premio d'Italia inTurin.[72] Third in the short program, he dropped to fifth overall after a sixth-place free skate.[73] At the2021 NHK Trophy, his second Grand Prix, Cha placed third in the short program and fifth in the free skate, which led to a bronze medal overall.[74] He described himself as "happy but also disappointed because I had a lot of mistakes. I really fought through."[75]
After achieving his fifth win at the 2021 Ranking Competition and claiming his sixth consecutive national title at the2022 South Korean Championships, he was named to theSouth Korean team for the2022 Winter Olympics.[76] Sent to compete at the2022 Four Continents Championships inTallinn, Cha placed first in both segments, earning personal bests in the short program and overall total to take the gold medal. He became the first South Korean man to win and medal at the Four Continents Championships.[77][78] He said afterward that "when coming here, I was not thinking about medals or winning this competition, just training and just doing what I trained before. It was pretty tough to solve all the elements during my practice sessions, but finally, I got the medal, and I'm very satisfied with this."[79]
Competing at the 2022 Winter Olympics in themen's event, Cha skated a clean short program to place fourth in that segment with a new personal best of 99.51. He remarked, "Despite my nervousness, I, trusting my own competence, managed to finish this program as I did in my training."[80] Cha opened his free skate with a hard fall on the quad toe loop but recovered to execute the rest of the program. He earned another set of personal bests, scoring 182.87 points in the free skate and 282.38 points in total, which placed him seventh in the segment and fifth overall.[81] In an interview, Cha noted that he had made a big fall early on but tried to finish the remaining elements well. Since it was the Olympics, he had tried to feel every moment of the competition in detail and make it memorable, and within that goal thought he had done well. He also stated, "Just as I have grown so far, I want to continue developing as a skater. I want to become a stronger and more solid athlete."[82] Then, at the2022 World Championships, he experienced boot problems during the first official practice and placed seventeenth in the short program. He completed the practice on the day of the free skate, but subsequently withdrew due to the condition of his boots, which made it impossible to perform the program and posed a risk of injury.[15][83]
Following the end of the Beijing Olympic cycle, Cha said he wanted to break his habit of using "rather classical music" and instead, "I wanted to show a different side of my character and reinvent myself on the ice. I wanted something modern, with vocals." He and choreographerShae-Lynn Bourne chose the music ofMichael Jackson for the short program while the free skate used the soundtrack of theJames Bond filmNo Time to Die, which he cited as one of his favorites. Cha opted to begin the season with back-to-back events on theChallenger series, citing a desire for "motivation for myself to improve as quickly as possible." He won silver at the2022 CS Nepela Memorial and then gold at the2022 CS Finlandia Trophy on the following weekend.[63]
Cha's firstGrand Prix assignment of the year was the2022 Skate America, where he won the bronze medal. He said the result was "not perfect, and it was not what I wanted, but I tried hard, and I'm quite satisfied."[84] At this second event, the2022 NHK Trophy, he finished sixth in the short program after two jumping errors.[85] He rallied in the free skate, finishing second in that segment and rising to third overall for his second bronze medal of the series. He expressed pleasure at the result after disappointment on the previous day.[86][87]
He won the 2022 Ranking Competition held in December in South Korea for the sixth time and his seventh consecutive title at the2023 South Korean Championships held in January.[18] Cha competed at the2023 Four Continents Championships and finished fifth in the short program after falling on his jump combination and having his triple Axel called on the quarter.[88][89] A strong free skate lifted him to fourth overall.[90][91] He revealed that this result was difficult, so he decided to compete at the National Winter Sports Festival held a week later to "reset [his] body and mind and erase bad memories to start fresh." He participated in the university division of the event and placed first.[11]
At the2023 World Championships inSaitama, Cha skated a clean short program and placed third in the segment with a new personal best score of 99.64. He noted that he had been struggling in recent seasons, but was "happy" that his recent training had paid dividends.[92] Cha finished second in the free skate, rising to second overall and winning the silver medal.[93] In doing so, he became the first South Korean male skater in history to reach the podium at theWorld Championships.[94] He said he was satisfied "above all with having cleanly performed everything I had practiced," and that he was most gratified by earning three spots for Korean men's singles at the World Championships.[95] A month later, Cha participated in the2023 World Team Trophy, for which South Korea had qualified for the first time in the history of the event. Cha set a new personal best in the short program, coming second in the segment, and then won the free skate, helping the Korean team win the silver medal.[96]
In June 2023,Brian Orser announced during an interview withYahoo! Japan that Cha made the decision to end their coaching relationship.[97][98] Regarding the change, Cha later elaborated, "I worked with Brian for so long time; we know each other so much. SinceCovid, everything changed. It was quite hard to train with Brian [because] we just always [only] met at competitions."[99] Orser further stated that he wished Cha all the best and that he would be open to working with him again should he desire.[100]
Cha came sixth at the2023 CS Nepela Memorial in his first competitive appearance of the season, before winning the silver medal at theShanghai Trophy.[15] He began theGrand Prix at the2023 Skate Canada International, placing second in the short program despite a fall on his quad toe loop. However, an error-filled performance in the free skate saw him eleventh in that segment, dropping to ninth overall.[101][102] Cha subsequently revealed that he was dealing with a right ankle injury, and in consequence he withdrew from the2023 Grand Prix of Espoo. Despite continuing issues, he planned to participate in the Korean national ranking competition in order to maintain his eligibility for international assignments.[103] He resumed training a week before the ranking competition, and with the use of painkillers was able to compete at and win the event, saying afterward that he would focus on recuperating the nerve injury to his ankle.[104]
After another national gold medal at theSouth Korean Championships, Cha won the bronze medal at the2024 Four Continents Championships, including a second-place finish in the free skate. He said afterward that his health was "improving," but that he would continue to work to balance recovery and training.[105] Cha came tenth at the2024 World Championships. He competed despite his ongoing injury difficulties, but concluded that with the season over "I can take a rest and I think everything will be fine."[106]
As he began the new season, Cha said he loved the lyrics of "Natural" for its strong voice and beat, and he chose it for his short program because it gives him "power" like "magic". He said that his free program "Balada para un Loco" was completely different from his previous music choices, and he felt "really into the voice and the music", so he could "focus on [his own] skating". He also explained that his intention was not just to follow the song's vocals but to express he was "speaking [directly] during [his] skating."[107]
Cha began the season by finishing fourth at the2024 Nebelhorn Trophy.[15] He went on to take gold at the2024 Shanghai Trophy.[18] One week following that event, Cha competed at the 2024 Korean Universiade and Asian Games Qualifiers, which he won. With this result, Cha was selected to represent South Korea at the2025 Winter World University Games and the2025 Asian Winter Games.[108][109]
Going on to compete on the2024–25 Grand Prix series, Cha placed fourth in the short program at2024 Skate Canada International, but second in the free skate, moving up to the bronze medal position overall.[18] "There were some mistakes, but I think in my condition right now, I think I did everything that I can do right now," said Cha after the free skate. "I think those small mistakes and the quality is what I have to work on and improve for the next one. I think still I can make it better quality. So that's what I've worked on."[110] At the2024 Finlandia Trophy, Cha placed seventh in the short program after falling on his openingquadruple Salchow. He withdrew from the competition before the free skate morning practice due to worsening ankle pain, as the injury he sustained during the previous season had not yet fully healed. As there were many more international competitions ahead of him this season, Cha stated he would focus on treating his injury, which was aggravated further during the recent boot replacement process, before the upcoming annual Korean Ranking Competition. This competition determines the National Athlete Team membership while also serving as the selection process for the skaters who will participate in the Four Continents Championships for South Korea.[111][112]
Cha ultimately won the gold medal at the Ranking Competition and was thus named to the2025 Four Continents Championships team.[113] One month later, he won his ninth consecutive national title at the2025 South Korean Championships, solidifying his place on the2025 Worlds team.[114]
In mid-January, Cha competed at the2025 Winter World University Games inTurin, Italy. He was fifth after the short program but delivered a clean free skate, winning the bronze medal. He revealed, "until the beginning of December I was having a really bad injury and about a month ago I got into normal training" and said he was very happy that "I saved a lot of things and put in the energy."[115]
Cha then went on to compete at the2025 Asian Winter Games, where he placed second in the short program but finished first in the free skate to win the gold medal.[18] This marked the first medal and gold ever won by a Korean male skater at theAsian Winter Games.[116] Cha said that he made up for a risky moment in the free skate, noting, "I focused entirely on my performance and tried to maintain my concentration until the very end." He subsequently remarked, "honestly, I was satisfied with the way I performed. I had absolutely no regrets, and it didn't matter to me what the result was."[117] Following his gold medal win, he was classified asArt and Sports Personnel, a type of supplementary service, instead of serving on active duty or as social service personnel. This is generally regarded as a form of exemption fromcompulsory military service in theRepublic of Korea Armed Forces.[118][119]
One week later, Cha competed at the2025 Four Continents Championships in his hometown ofSeoul. He placed fourth in the short program after popping a planned quad Salchow into a double. During the free skate, Cha skated a solid performance, apart from doubling a planned quad toe loop. He finished second in that segment and won the silver medal overall. Following the event, Cha said, "There are a lot of things going on this season, but I was able to finish my free skating pretty well. It was a bit tough to keep the form as the best, but I've tried my best as this is the second Four Continents held in Korea. I feel a little disappointed about on the double toe-loop but overall, I'm satisfied with the result."[120]
In March, at the2025 World Championships inBoston, Massachusetts, United States, he fell on his triple Axel in the short program and placed tenth in that segment.[121] In the free skate he placed fifth, which helped him rise to seventh place overall. This result gave South Korea one quota for the men's event at the upcoming2026 Winter Olympics as well as allowing them to attempt to qualify a second quota at the qualifying competition in September.[119][122] In an interview following the event, Cha reflected on the season, sharing, "Looking back on my season, it was a long season. I had 11 competitions. My injury got worse in the middle of it, and I wasn’t sure mid-season where I was going to go. But I took one step at a time, and it got better. My biggest support during that time was clearly my family, my fans, and also my coach, who said a lot of motivating and inspiring words to me. Now, I will take some time to recover and train again for the Olympic season."[123]
In May, Cha became the first member to join theSeoul Metropolitan Government's new figure skating team. This marks the first-ever instance of a figure skater joining aworkplace sports team in South Korea. He expressed that he is "honored and excited", adding "The fact that it is the first such Korean team established for figure skaters makes it even more meaningful". He went on to say, "As this is the first of its kind, I am eager to see the positive impact it will have on my peers and juniors in the future."[124][125][126]
Cha opened the season by competing on the2025–26 ISU Challenger Series, winning gold at the2025 CS Kinoshita Group Cup.[127] The following month, he competed at the2025 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge but was forced the withdraw following the short program due to boot problems. Issues with his skates continued at the2025 Cup of China a couple weeks later,[128] where Cha finished the event in eighth place overall.[129] A couple weeks later, at the2025 NHK Trophy, Cha placed third in the short program but only tenth in the free skate, dropping to fifth place overall. Following his free skate, he shared, "I wasn't that disappointed with my skating today. For the past few months, I haven't been able to practice as much as I wanted due to boot issues. So, I'll just accept today's result and regroup to prepare for the second half of the season."[130]
Before becoming a figure skater, Cha was active as a child actor and model.[12] He worked as a child model in magazines and appeared in various commercials for brands in categories such as toys, finance, hygiene products, and food.[131][132] He also acted in television dramas includingMiracle,[133]Best Theater,[134] andThe Return of Iljimae.[135]
Since beginning figure skating, Cha has participated in various media activities alongside his athletic career. In 2011, he appeared on the television programKim Yuna's Kiss & Cry as a professional skating partner to actressJin Ji-hee.[13] He also took part in the music variety showKing of Mask Singer inJune 2020,[136] and in December 2022, performed a cover dance and served as a guest MC at the music festivalSBS Gayo Daejeon.[137] he has appeared in several popular television programs, includingYou Quiz on the Block,[138]Running Man,[139]2 Days & 1 Night[140] andKnowing Bros.[141] He has also made appearances on news programs such as SBS'sNews Briefing[142] andJTBC Newsroom[143] and CCTV'sLive News.[144] Additionally, he has also narrated for the Korean radio programJust a Moment campaign[145] and the Korean edition of the BBC documentary seriesFrozen Planet II.[146]
Cha has been featured in fashion magazine editorials, includingVogue Korea,[147]Elle Korea,[148]Men's Health Korea,[149]W Korea,[150]GQ Korea[151] and Japan'sSPUR.[152] He has participated in several public campaigns, including those by theSeoul Metropolitan Office of Education,[153] theNational Election Commission[154] andUNICEF Korea.[155] Cha has also endorsed various brands across fashion,[156][157] pharmaceutical and healthcare products,[158][159] and food.[132][12] In 2025, he was named honorary ambassador forIncheon International Airport[160] and became a promotional ambassador for the 120th anniversary ofKorea University following his graduation.[161]
Outside competition, Cha has taken part in various skating events and ice shows. He began performing in public during his novice years.[162][163] In 2018 and 2019, he took on the role of host forIce Fantasia, an ice show sponsored byLG.[164][165] He has also performed in several Japanese ice shows, includingStars on Ice,The Ice,Dreams on Ice,Friends on Ice andFantasy on Ice.[152][166][167]
In January 2020, Cha participated in the135th IOC Session as part of the South Korean delegation supporting the bid to host the2024 Winter Youth Olympics.[168] Motivated by this experience, he ran in the 2025 domestic selection to become the South Korean candidate for theIOC Athletes' Commission, with the goal of advocating for athletes' rights, while the candidacy was awarded to bobsledderWon Yun-jong.[169][170] In June of the same year, Cha was named as one of 13 elected members of the Athletes' Committee of the 42ndKorean Sport & Olympic Committee and commenced a four-year term.[171] He was also appointed as a vice chairperson for winter sports.[172]
He took part in national ceremonies commemorating theMarch First Movement, reciting the pledge to the national flag at the 103rd anniversary in 2022[173] and delivering a message expressing commitment at the 106th anniversary ceremony in 2025.[174] In observance ofInternational Youth Day on 12 August 2025, Cha delivered a keynote speech on youth and peace at a public communication event organized by theMinistry of Unification.[175]
Cha had set a junior world record score under the previous +3/-3 GOE system.[26]
| Date | Seg. | Score | Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 September 2016 | Combined total | 239.47 | 2016 JGP Japan | Broken byDmitri Aliev at the2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final |
| Season | Short program | Free skate program | Exhibition program |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 [21] |
|
| — |
| Danse Macabre | Swan Lake |
| |
| 2016–17 [2][26] |
|
| "One Day I'll Fly Away" |
| |||
2017–18 [178][179][180][181] |
|
| — |
Gypsy Dance
| The Planets | "What a Wonderful World" | |
| Gypsy Dance | Il Postino: The Postman | "Peanut Butter Jelly"[164] | |
| Il Postino: The Postman[164] | |||
| |||
| 2018–19 [183][184][185] | The Prince
|
| "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back"[182] |
| "What a Wonderful World"[182] | |||
| Romeo + Juliet[165] | |||
"Boy with a Star"[165]
| |||
| 2019–20 [186][187] | Astor Piazzolla Tango Medley
|
| "Crazy"
|
| 2020–21 [131] |
| The Fire Within | — |
| 2021–22 [188] | Eternal Eclipse Medley
|
| "Crazy" |
"Believer"
| |||
| "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" | |||
| "Boy with a Star" | |||
| 2022–23 [189] | Michael Jackson Medley
|
| "Believer" |
| "Boy with a Star" | |||
| |||
| |||
| 2023–24 [190] |
|
| Michael Jackson Medley |
| "Golden Hour" | |||
| |||
| Masquerade Waltz | |||
| 2024–25 [191] | "Natural"
| "Balada para un Loco"
| Masquerade Waltz |
"Mr/Mme"
| |||
| Black Panther | |||
| "Natural" | |||
| 2025–26 [192] | "Rain, In Your Black Eyes"
|
| "Thunder"
|
| Season | Short program | Free skate program | Exhibition program |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | — |
| — |
| 2010–11 |
|
| — |
| 2011–12 |
| Pérez Prado Mambo Medley
| — |
| 2012–13 | Piano Concerto No. 2 | La Cumparsita/Tango Please | — |
| Fantaisie-Impromptu | The Mummy
|
| |
| 2013–14 |
|
| "Gopher Mambo" |
| 2014–15 |
|
|
|
| Season | 2017–18 | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics | 15th | 5th | |||||||
| Winter Olympics (Team event) | 9th | ||||||||
| World Championships | 19th | C | 10th | WD | 2nd | 10th | 7th | ||
| Four Continents Championships | 6th | 5th | 1st | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | |||
| Grand Prix Final | 3rd | ||||||||
| South Korean Championships | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | |
| World Team Trophy | 2nd (1st) | ||||||||
| GPCup of China | 6th | C | 8th | ||||||
| GPFinland | 3rd | WD | WD | ||||||
| GPItaly | 5th | ||||||||
| GPNHK Trophy | 3rd | 3rd | 5th | ||||||
| GPSkate America | WD | 8th | 3rd | ||||||
| GPSkate Canada | 9th | 3rd | C | 9th | 3rd | ||||
| CSAutumn Classic | 2nd | 4th | |||||||
| CSDenis Ten Memorial | WD | ||||||||
| CSFinlandia Trophy | 2nd | 1st | |||||||
| CSGolden Spin of Zagreb | WD | ||||||||
| CSKinoshita Group Cup | 1st | ||||||||
| CSNebelhorn Trophy | 4th | ||||||||
| CSNepela Memorial | 2nd | 6th | |||||||
| Asian Games | 1st | ||||||||
| Asian Open Trophy | 6th | ||||||||
| Shanghai Trophy | WD | 2nd | 1st | ||||||
| Winter World University Games | 3rd |
| Season | 2010–11 | 2011–12 | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Youth Olympics | 5th | |||||||
| Winter Youth Olympics (Team event) | 6th | |||||||
| World Junior Championships | 7th | 5th | WD | |||||
| Junior Grand Prix Final | 3rd | |||||||
| South Korean Championships (Senior) | 5th | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | ||||
| South Korean Championships (Junior) | 4th | 1st | 1st | |||||
| JGPGermany | 1st | |||||||
| JGPJapan | 1st | |||||||
| Autumn Classic | 1st |
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | TSS | 296.03 | 2023 World Championships |
| Short program | TSS | 101.33 | 2023 World Team Trophy |
| TES | 55.04 | 2023 World Championships | |
| PCS | 46.63 | 2023 World Team Trophy | |
| Free skating | TSS | 196.39 | 2023 World Championships |
| TES | 105.65 | 2023 World Championships | |
| PCS | 92.28 | 2023 World Team Trophy |
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | TSS | 248.59 | 2018 Winter Olympics |
| Short program | TSS | 83.43 | 2018 Winter Olympics |
| TES | 45.27 | 2017 World Junior Championships | |
| PCS | 39.64 | 2018 Winter Olympics | |
| Free skating | TSS | 165.16 | 2018 Winter Olympics |
| TES | 85.59 | 2017 World Junior Championships | |
| PCS | 81.22 | 2018 Winter Olympics |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Jan 3–5, 2014 |  2014 South Korean Championships | 5 | 60.44 | 3 | 123.94 | 5 | 184.38 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Jan 7–9, 2015 | 2015 South Korean Championships | 4 | 58.28 | 3 | 122.85 | 3 | 181.13 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Jan 8–10, 2016 | 2016 South Korean Championships | 4 | 58.60 | 3 | 131.38 | 3 | 189.98 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Jan 6–8, 2017 | 2017 South Korean Championships | 1 | 81.83 | 1 | 157.24 | 1 | 238.07 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Oct 27–29, 2017 |  2017 Skate Canada International | 11 | 68.46 | 8 | 141.86 | 9 | 210.32 |
| Jan 5–7, 2018 | 2018 South Korean Championships | 1 | 84.05 | 1 | 168.60 | 1 | 252.65 |
| Feb 9–12, 2018 | 2018 Winter Olympics (Team event) | 6 | 77.70 | – | – | 9 | – |
| Feb 14–23, 2018 | 2018 Winter Olympics | 15 | 83.43 | 14 | 165.16 | 15 | 248.59 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 20–22, 2018 | 2018 CS Autumn Classic International | 2 | 90.56 | 1 | 169.22 | 2 | 259.78 |
| Oct 4–7, 2018 |  2018 CS Finlandia Trophy | 2 | 84.67 | 2 | 154.52 | 2 | 239.19 |
| Oct 26–28, 2018 | 2018 Skate Canada International | 3 | 88.86 | 3 | 165.91 | 3 | 254.77 |
| Nov 2–4, 2018 | 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki | 4 | 82.82 | 3 | 160.37 | 3 | 243.19 |
| Dec 6–9, 2018 | 2018–19 Grand Prix Final | 4 | 89.07 | 3 | 174.42 | 3 | 263.49 |
| Jan 11–13, 2019 | 2019 South Korean Championships | 1 | 89.12 | 1 | 156.40 | 1 | 245.52 |
| Feb 7–10, 2019 |  2019 Four Continents Championships | 2 | 97.33 | 8 | 158.50 | 6 | 255.83 |
| Mar 18–24, 2019 |  2019 World Championships | 18 | 79.17 | 18 | 150.09 | 19 | 229.26 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 12–14, 2019 | 2019 CS Autumn Classic International | 4 | 84.23 | 4 | 146.21 | 4 | 230.44 |
| Oct 18–20, 2019 | 2019 Skate America | 7 | 78.98 | 9 | 140.69 | 8 | 219.67 |
| Nov 8–10, 2019 |  2019 Cup of China | 11 | 69.40 | 6 | 152.86 | 6 | 222.26 |
| Jan 3–5, 2020 | 2020 South Korean Championships | 1 | 93.45 | 1 | 185.09 | 1 | 278.54 |
| Feb 4–9, 2020 | 2020 Four Continents Championships | 6 | 90.37 | 4 | 175.06 | 5 | 265.43 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Feb 24–26, 2021 | 2021 South Korean Championships | 1 | 90.36 | 1 | 166.76 | 1 | 257.12 |
| Mar 22–28, 2021 |  2021 World Championships | 8 | 91.15 | 13 | 154.84 | 10 | 245.99 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Oct 13–17, 2021 | 2021 Asian Open Trophy | 5 | 74.47 | 5 | 139.77 | 6 | 214.24 |
| Nov 5–7, 2021 |  2021 Gran Premio d'Italia | 3 | 95.56 | 6 | 152.18 | 5 | 247.74 |
| Nov 12–14, 2021 | 2021 NHK Trophy | 3 | 95.92 | 5 | 163.68 | 3 | 259.60 |
| Jan 7–9, 2022 | 2022 South Korean Championships | 1 | 98.31 | 1 | 185.00 | 1 | 283.31 |
| Jan 18–23, 2022 |  2022 Four Continents Championships | 1 | 98.96 | 1 | 174.26 | 1 | 273.22 |
| Feb 8–10, 2022 | 2022 Winter Olympics | 4 | 99.51 | 7 | 182.87 | 5 | 282.38 |
| Mar 21–27, 2022 |  2022 World Championships | 17 | 82.43 | – | – | – | WD |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 29 – Oct 1, 2022 |  2022 CS Nepela Memorial | 2 | 80.81 | 2 | 145.51 | 2 | 226.32 |
| Oct 4–9, 2022 | 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy | 1 | 91.06 | 1 | 162.14 | 1 | 253.20 |
| Oct 21–23, 2022 | 2022 Skate America | 2 | 94.44 | 3 | 169.61 | 3 | 264.05 |
| Nov 18–20, 2022 | 2022 NHK Trophy | 6 | 80.35 | 2 | 174.41 | 3 | 254.76 |
| Jan 5–8, 2023 | 2023 South Korean Championships | 1 | 101.04 | 1 | 170.17 | 1 | 271.21 |
| Feb 7–12, 2023 | 2023 Four Continents Championships | 5 | 83.77 | 4 | 166.37 | 4 | 250.14 |
| Mar 20–26, 2023 | 2023 World Championships | 3 | 99.64 | 2 | 196.39 | 2 | 296.03 |
| Apr 13–16, 2023 | 2023 World Team Trophy | 2 | 101.33 | 1 | 187.82 | 2 (1) | 289.15 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 28–30, 2023 | 2023 CS Nepela Memorial | 2 | 83.91 | 7 | 138.25 | 6 | 222.16 |
| Oct 3–5, 2023 | 2023 Shanghai Trophy | 1 | 91.80 | 2 | 163.06 | 2 | 254.86 |
| Oct 27–29, 2023 | 2023 Skate Canada International | 2 | 86.18 | 11 | 130.43 | 9 | 216.61 |
| Jan 4–7, 2024 | 2024 South Korean Championships | 1 | 96.51 | 1 | 179.43 | 1 | 275.94 |
| Jan 30 – Feb 4, 2024 | 2024 Four Continents Championships | 3 | 95.30 | 2 | 177.65 | 3 | 272.95 |
| Mar 18–24, 2024 | 2024 World Championships | 9 | 88.21 | 11 | 161.44 | 10 | 249.65 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 19–21, 2024 |  2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 10 | 69.81 | 3 | 158.67 | 4 | 228.48 |
| Oct 3–5, 2024 | 2024 Shanghai Trophy | 1 | 92.28 | 1 | 177.25 | 1 | 269.53 |
| Oct 25–27, 2024 | 2024 Skate Canada International | 4 | 88.38 | 2 | 171.93 | 3 | 260.31 |
| Nov 15–17, 2024 | 2024 Finlandia Trophy | 7 | 77.33 | — | — | – | WD |
| Jan 2–5, 2025 | 2025 South Korean Championships | 1 | 90.53 | 1 | 190.49 | 1 | 281.02 |
| Jan 16–18, 2025 | 2025 Winter World University Games | 5 | 82.40 | 2 | 182.54 | 3 | 264.94 |
| Feb 11–13, 2025 | 2025 Asian Winter Games | 2 | 94.09 | 1 | 187.60 | 1 | 281.69 |
| Feb 19–23, 2025 | 2025 Four Continents Championships | 4 | 79.24 | 2 | 185.78 | 2 | 265.02 |
| Mar 25–30, 2025 | 2025 World Championships | 10 | 86.41 | 5 | 179.33 | 7 | 265.74 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 5–7, 2025 | 2025 CS Kinoshita Group Cup | 1 | 87.76 | 1 | 165.55 | 1 | 253.31 |
| Oct 1–4, 2025 |  2025 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge | 13 | 70.78 | – | – | – | WD |
| Oct 24–26, 2025 | 2025 Cup of China | 7 | 75.61 | 8 | 141.92 | 8 | 217.53 |
| Nov 7–9, 2025 | 2025 NHK Trophy | 3 | 91.60 | 10 | 138.66 | 5 | 230.26 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Jan 14–16, 2011 | 2011 South Korean Championships (Junior) | 3 | 37.16 | 4 | 70.65 | 4 | 107.81 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Jan 6–8, 2012 | 2012 South Korean Championships (Junior) | 1 | 46.26 | 1 | 86.95 | 1 | 133.21 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Jan 4–6, 2013 | 2013 South Korean Championships (Junior) | 1 | 50.67 | 1 | 100.07 | 1 | 150.74 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Oct 12–15, 2015 | 2015 Autumn Classic International | 1 | 65.48 | 1 | 132.96 | 1 | 198.44 |
| Feb 12–21, 2016 |  2016 Winter Youth Olympics | 4 | 68.76 | 5 | 130.14 | 5 | 198.90 |
| Feb 12–21, 2016 | 2016 Winter Youth Olympics (Team event) | – | – | 3 | 139.97 | 6 | – |
| Mar 14–20, 2016 |  2016 World Junior Championships | 7 | 74.38 | 6 | 132.73 | 7 | 207.11 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 7–11, 2016 | 2016 JGP Japan | 2 | 79.34 | 1 | 160.13 | 1 | 239.47 |
| Oct 5–9, 2016 | 2016 JGP Germany | 1 | 76.82 | 1 | 143.72 | 1 | 220.54 |
| Dec 8–11, 2016 | 2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final | 4 | 71.84 | 3 | 153.70 | 3 | 225.55 |
| Mar 15–19, 2017 |  2017 World Junior Championships | 2 | 82.34 | 6 | 160.11 | 5 | 242.45 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Miracle | Woon-hyuk | [133] | |
| 2007 | Best Theater – Romance Papa | Ha-neul | Episode 658; one act-drama | [134] |
| Best Theater – Amnesia | Young Seo Jin-woo | Episode 663; one act-drama | [194][195] | |
| 2008 | Night After Night | Young Heo Gyun | Episode 13 & 17 | |
| 2009 | The Return of Iljimae | Young Iljimae / Young-yi | Episode 2 / Episode 24 | [135] |
| The Accidental Couple | Young Han Sang-chul | Episode 4 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Kim Yuna's Kiss & Cry | Contestant | as Professional skaters (episode 2–10); withJin Ji-hee | [13] |
| 2017 | Becoming Stars beyond Dreams | Himself | Documentary | [196] |
| 2020 | King of Mask Singer | Contestant | as "Lottery Ticket" (episode 261) | [197] |
| 2024 | Frozen Planet II | Narrator | Nature documentary,KBS version | [146] |
Original link no longer available; content referenced via Korean article"차준환 "지난 여름 웃으며 훈련, 계속 좋은 성적 내고싶다"".Newsis. February 7, 2019.
3차 선발전을 앞두고 차준환은 프리스케이팅 음악을 올 시즌 '더 플래니츠'에서 지난 시즌의 '일 포스티노'로 바꿨습니다.
Media related toCha Jun-hwan at Wikimedia Commons
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