포기를 모르는 유도 거목, 조재기의 구술생애사

Abstract

This study investigates how Jae-kee Cho, remembered as a judo giant who never gave up, influenced the development of Korean sports. Born in Hadong in 1950, he was a remarkably large and robust child, yet he possessed a warm and naive nature. He spent his formative school years in a privileged and loving family environment. After studying in Busan, he entered Dong-A University and, despite encountering judo at a later stage, he harnessed his innate physical abilities and benefitted from the guidance of esteemed leaders of the time. Consequently, he became a dominant force in the domestic judo world during the 1970s. He later ventured onto the world stage, exploring the potential of Korean heavyweight judo, and ultimately achieved a groundbreaking feat for Korea by winning an Olympic bronze medal in the unlimited weight division at the Montreal Olympics, with his head shaved. Even after retiring, he continued to contribute to the development of Korean sports, drawing upon the invaluable insights he gained from his life as a professional athlete, sports leader, administrator, and manager.