'Chills on Spine’: The Asian Games Moment That Surpassed 7.8% Peak Viewership (Video)

Cha Jun-hwan (24, Korea University), also known as the "Figure Skating Prince," captivated viewers with his passionate performance at the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games.

The men's singles short program, broadcast exclusively by KBS, recorded an average viewership rating of 5.2%, with a peak rating of 7.8% at 8:17 PM on the 11th, according to Nielsen Korea (nationwide). The Asian Games men's singles short program, held on the same day, generated excitement as both Cha Jun-hwan and Kim Hyun-gyeom represented Korea. KBS commentator Kim Ye-rim, known as the "Figure Skating General," expressed her affection for the athletes, noting, "These athletes, with whom I've always shared a special bond, are competing together in this tournament."

The event showcased the current state of Asian figure skating. The challenges posed by athletes from non-mainstream countries, such as India and Taiwan, added a unique charm to the competition. However, many athletes struggled with the pressure and made several mistakes. Kim Hyun-gyeom, a rising star from Korea, fell twice and finished in 10th place. Kim Ye-rim, offering warm encouragement, said, "As a young athlete, there's endless potential ahead. I hope he doesn't get too discouraged by today's result."

Cha Jun-hwan, the final skater out of 16 competitors, delivered a stunning performance to Imagine Dragons' "Natural". He landed a flawless quadruple salchow, followed by a perfect triple lutz-triple loop combination jump. His change-foot combination spin earned the highest difficulty level of Level 4, enhancing his performance's overall quality.

Though he showed slight wobbling on the landing of his triple axel in the second half, he completed the change-foot sit-spin, step sequence, and change-foot combination spin all with a perfect Level 4. His technical score (TES) was 50.58, and his program components score (PCS) was 43.51, resulting in a total score of 94.09.

Commentator Nam Hyun-jong praised Cha's stable and graceful performance, saying, "It was a performance of another dimension; the tension from other skaters' falls had me worried, but it was all for nothing." Kim Ye-rim also expressed her admiration, saying, "He must have been so nervous due to his desperation, but he overcame everything and showed a great performance. I too had my hands together watching."

Cha Jun-hwan secured second place, following Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama (103.81 points). He commented, "I focused on myself and am satisfied. I want to finish the free skate with my best performance. I felt the third jump was a bit disappointing." Kim Ye-rim remarked, "His perfectionist personality shows in the fact that he still feels the need to improve."

Cha Jun-hwan, who had to return early from the ISU Senior Grand Prix last year due to an ankle injury, has focused on ankle management this season. He now performs only two quadruple jumps as solo jumps. Ahead of the free skate on the 13th, he said, "I will approach it with the same difficulty as the selection trials," while also acknowledging that attempting a higher difficulty might be too risky.

There is growing anticipation as Cha Jun-hwan is on track to make history by becoming the first Korean figure skater to win a medal in the men's singles at the Winter Asian Games. KBS will broadcast the women's free skating (featuring Kim Seo-young and Kim Chae-yeon) at 4 PM and the men’s free skating (featuring Cha Jun-hwan and Kim Hyun-gyeom) at 8:30 PM on the 13th, with commentary by Kim Ye-rim and Nam Hyun-jong.