1. Overview
Mimi Huh (허미미Korean; born December 19, 2002) is a prominent South Korean judoka and a third-generation Zainichi Korean. She has achieved significant international success, culminating in a gold medal at the 2024 World Judo Championships in the 126 lb (57 kg) category, a silver medal in the individual 126 lb (57 kg) event, and a bronze medal in the mixed team event at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Huh's career is notable not only for her athletic achievements but also for her unique personal background, including her ancestry tracing back to a Korean independence activist and her decision to represent South Korea, underscoring a deep connection to her heritage.
2. Early Life and Background
Mimi Huh's early life was deeply influenced by her unique family background and her introduction to judo at a young age in Japan, where she established a strong foundation for her future athletic career.
2.1. Birth and Family
Mimi Huh was born on December 19, 2002, in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo, Japan. She is a third-generation Zainichi Korean, born to a South Korean father and a Japanese mother. Both of her paternal grandparents were originally from Korea. Her family heritage includes a remarkable connection to Heo Seok, a Korean independence activist from the Japanese colonial period, making Mimi Huh his fifth great-granddaughter. Heo Seok was actively involved in the independence movement, particularly in Gunwi County, North Gyeongsang Province, where he was sentenced to one year in prison in 1919 for posting anti-Japanese leaflets. He died in 1920 due to hardships endured during his imprisonment and was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation by the South Korean government in 1991.
2.2. Early Judo Career in Japan
Huh began her judo training at the age of six or seven, following in the footsteps of her father, who was also a judoka. She started her training at the Uemura Juku. During her middle school years, she quickly distinguished herself. In her third year at Teikyo Junior High School, she won the All-Japan Junior High School Judo Championships in the 115 lb (52 kg) category. As a first-year student at Teikyo High School, she competed in the All-Japan Cadet Judo Championships, where she placed second after losing to Kokoro Fujishiro of Fuji Gakuen High School by hansoku-make (disqualification). While in high school, she was also a strengthening athlete for the All-Japan Cadet team. Subsequently, she began representing South Korea in international junior competitions, securing a bronze medal in the 126 lb (57 kg) category at the Asian Junior Judo Championships and achieving a fifth-place finish at the 2019 World Judo Juniors Championships.
3. South Korean National Team Career
Mimi Huh's decision to represent South Korea marked a pivotal moment in her career, leading to her rise as a prominent figure on the international judo stage.
3.1. National Team Selection
Huh's choice to compete for South Korea was significantly influenced by her family's deep ties to their Korean heritage. A crucial factor was her grandmother, who had served as the head of the Mindan's Edogawa Ward branch in Tokyo, leaving a dying wish that her granddaughter would represent South Korea in the Olympics. Despite maintaining her South Korean nationality while living in Japan, Mimi Huh decided to pursue her athletic career under the South Korean flag. In 2021, after graduating from high school, she enrolled in the Sports Science Department at Waseda University in Japan, and in the same year, she also joined the Gyeongbuk Athletics Association judo team in South Korea. This arrangement allowed her to train between Japan and the Jincheon National Training Center in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea, actively preparing for her national team debut. She was officially selected as a South Korean national team member in 2022.
3.2. Junior and Early Senior Career (2019-2021)
Huh's initial period as a South Korean national team member began with her selection to the junior national team in June 2019, after winning the Korean Junior Championships held in Gyeongsan. In July of the same year, she earned a bronze medal at the 2019 Asian Junior Championships in Taipei, Taiwan. Later, in October, she competed at the 2019 World Junior Championships in Marrakech, Morocco, where she finished in fifth place after losing to her teammate Kim Ji-su in the bronze medal match. Following her high school graduation in 2021, Huh began her transition into the senior competitive circuit.
3.3. Breakthrough in International Competitions (2022-2023)
The years 2022 and 2023 marked Mimi Huh's breakthrough into the senior international scene, where she consistently delivered strong performances. In June 2022, she claimed her first IJF World Tour title at the Grand Slam Tbilisi in Tbilisi, Georgia, defeating Pauline Starke of Germany in the final. In October 2022, she participated in the 2022 World Judo Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where she defeated defending world champion Jessica Klimkait of Canada to reach the semifinals. However, she lost to Haruka Funakubo of Japan by hansoku-make and subsequently fell to Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo of Mongolia in the bronze medal match, finishing fifth in her first World Championships. Later that year, in December, she won gold at the Grand Slam Abu Dhabi by defeating Olympic champion Nora Gjakova of Kosovo, but finished fifth at the Grand Slam Tokyo after a semifinal loss to Akari Omori of Japan. She concluded 2022 by securing a bronze medal at the World Masters in Jerusalem, Israel, after a semifinal loss to Christa Deguchi of Canada, followed by a victory over Nora Gjakova.
In 2023, Huh continued her strong performance, winning gold at the Grand Prix Almada in January and a bronze medal at the Grand Slam Ulaanbaatar in June. She competed again at the 2023 World Judo Championships in Doha, Qatar, where she again finished fifth after losing to Funakubo in the quarterfinals and then to Enkhriilen in the bronze medal match. In July, she achieved significant success at the 2021 Summer Universiade in Chengdu, China, winning an individual gold medal in the women's 126 lb (57 kg) category by defeating Omori Akari, and a team bronze medal in the women's team event alongside Jang Se-yun, Shin Chae-won, and Han Hee-ju. In September, she was part of the South Korean mixed team at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, where the team finished fifth. She won her match against Sebara Nishanbayeva of Kazakhstan but lost to Momo Tamaki of Japan and Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo of Mongolia. She also won gold at the Oceania Open Perth in November.
3.4. Olympic and World Championship Success (2024)
The year 2024 marked the peak of Mimi Huh's career, with her achieving the most significant titles in judo. In January, she started the year by winning gold at the Grand Prix Odivelas in Odivelas, Portugal, defeating Daria Kurbonmamadova of Russia. In April, she earned a silver medal at the 2024 Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong, losing to Enkhriilen. In May, she became a world champion at the 2024 World Judo Championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, winning the gold medal after an extended final match against Canada's Christa Deguchi. This victory made her the first South Korean female judoka to win a World Championship in 29 years, following Jung Sung-sook and Cho Min-sun in 1995, and the first Zainichi Korean female to achieve this feat.
In July 2024, as a fourth-year student at Waseda University, Huh made her Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics in Paris, France. She advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Timna Nelson-Levy of Israel and then secured a victory against Enkhriilen. In the semifinals, she overcame 2016 Olympic gold medalist Rafaela Silva of Brazil to reach the final. In the gold medal match, she faced Christa Deguchi again, whom she had defeated in the World Championships final just two months prior. Huh ultimately received a hansoku-make, earning a silver medal, which was South Korea's first judo medal at the Paris Olympics.
Following her individual success, Huh also participated in the mixed team event at the Paris Olympics, where South Korea secured a bronze medal. In the mixed team's first match against Turkey, she defeated Tuğçe Beder in the 106 lb (48 kg) category. Although she did not compete in the match against France after her teammates suffered four consecutive losses, she contributed to the team's progression. In the first repechage match against Uzbekistan, she lost to 115 lb (52 kg) judoka Diyora Keldiyorova by ippon, but South Korea secured enough wins to advance to the bronze medal match. In the bronze medal match against Germany, Huh defeated Pauline Starke, contributing to South Korea's bronze medal victory.
4. Personal Life
Beyond her impressive athletic career, Mimi Huh's personal life is characterized by her unique heritage and her significant decision regarding her citizenship.
4.1. Ancestral and Family Background
Mimi Huh is the fifth great-granddaughter of Heo Seok, a revered Korean independence activist who played a crucial role during the Japanese colonial period. Heo Seok was imprisoned in 1919 for anti-Japanese activities in Gunwi County, Gyeongsang Province, and died in 1920 due to the hardships of his imprisonment. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation by the South Korean government in 1991. After her participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Mimi Huh returned to South Korea to visit the memorial stone for her great-great-great-great-grandfather Heo Seok in Hwasu-ri, Samguk-yusa-myeon, Gunwi County, offering her Olympic medal as a tribute. Mimi Huh also has a younger sister, Heo Mio, who is also a judoka and competes for the Gyeongbuk Athletics Association.
4.2. Dual Nationality and Citizenship Choice
Mimi Huh held dual nationality, being a citizen of both South Korea and Japan, for much of her life. However, due to Japan's nationality laws, which generally do not recognize dual nationality beyond a certain age, she was required to choose one citizenship. On her 21st birthday, December 19, 2023, Mimi Huh made the significant decision to choose South Korean citizenship. This choice was deeply personal and aligned with her family's long-standing connection to their Korean heritage, allowing her to officially represent South Korea in international competitions.
5. Major Results and Records
Mimi Huh has achieved numerous accolades throughout her judo career.
| Year | Competition | Result | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | All-Japan Junior High School Judo Championships | Gold | 115 lb (52 kg) |
| 2018 | All-Japan Cadet Judo Championships | Silver | |
| 2019 | Asian Junior Judo Championships | Bronze | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2019 | 2019 World Judo Juniors Championships | 5th | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2022 | Grand Slam Tbilisi | Gold | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2022 | 2022 World Judo Championships | 5th | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2022 | Grand Slam Abu Dhabi | Gold | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2022 | Grand Slam Tokyo | 5th | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2022 | World Masters | Bronze | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2023 | Grand Prix Almada | Gold | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2023 | 2023 World Judo Championships | 5th | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2023 | Grand Slam Ulaanbaatar | Bronze | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2023 | Summer Universiade | Gold | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2023 | Summer Universiade | Bronze | Women's team |
| 2023 | Asian Games | 5th | Mixed team |
| 2023 | Oceania Open Perth | Gold | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2024 | Grand Prix Odivelas | Gold | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2024 | Asian Championships | Silver | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2024 | World Championships | Gold | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2024 | Paris Olympics | Silver | 126 lb (57 kg) |
| 2024 | Paris Olympics | Bronze | Mixed team |
6. Assessment and Legacy
Mimi Huh's emergence as a top-tier judoka holds significant historical and societal importance, especially given her background as a third-generation Zainichi Korean and her decision to represent South Korea. Her success on the international stage, culminating in Olympic and World Championship medals, not only highlights her exceptional athletic talent but also symbolizes a unique bridge between different cultural identities. Her connection to an independence activist ancestor further imbues her achievements with a sense of historical purpose, echoing a legacy of fighting for national identity and recognition. By choosing to compete for South Korea, driven by her grandmother's wish, she embodies a powerful narrative of heritage and personal commitment. Her journey serves as an inspiration, demonstrating how individual choices can intertwine with broader historical and national narratives, contributing to the rich tapestry of both sports and cultural identity. She is also notable as the first Waseda University student to win an Olympic medal in judo while still enrolled.
q=Waseda University|position=left