Fencer Oh Sanguk wins fans over with looks, charm, classy actions

South Korea’s Oh Sanguk celebrates after winning the men’s individual Sabre final match against Tunisia’s Fares Ferjani during the Paris Olympics 2024 at the Grand Palais, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

South Korean fencer Oh Sanguk has won new fans both in Korea and abroad after his second gold medal of the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old is the first Korean fencer to capture two gold medals in a single Olympic Games, and has seen his Instagram followers roughly double since arriving in the French capital. Oh’s page has a little over 225,000 followers as of Thursday morning.

“Congrats!!! I’m from Brazil and I watched your victory! I’m very happy!!! Be healthy and keep going! Success!!” wrote one user on a post from Oh thanking fans for supporting him through his victory in the individual saber event. Other fans from other countries also showed their affection.

When asked about his newfound international fame by the media, Oh said he had no idea. A reporter asked about his popularity, particularly among Brazilians, to which he replied, “In Brazil? Why?”

“I had no idea I would be popular in Brazil,” he replied, to which his teammate Gu Bon-gil jokingly suggested, “You should compete in Brazil.”

South Korea’s fencers Oh Sanguk, Gu Bongil, Park Sangwon and Do Gyeongdong celebrate on the podium after winning the gold medal of the men’s team sabre competition during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Oh had been already been touted among his compatriots for his picturesque looks and sturdy physique, standing 192-centimeters tall, but his looks are not the only factor behind his popularity.

During his championship bout for the individual sabre title in the Olympics, Oh’s demonstration of sportsmanship against his opponent Fares Ferjani went viral online. The Tunisian fencer had tripped over himself and fell backwards and Oh, instead of seeking to collect another point, extended his hand to help Ferjani back on his feet.

His actions were praised as classy, with Eurosports posting the video of Oh helping Ferjani up with the comment “A lovely moment between Oh and Ferjani.”

With Wednesday’s win, Oh has now won the gold medal in nearly all major international fencing competitions, including the Olympic Games, World Championships, Asian Championships, and Asian Games.

South Korea has won its third consecutive Olympic gold in the men’s saber team event, following the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The event did not feature in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.