[THE INVESTOR] Kim Dong-sun, the third son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-yeon, will compete in the dressage event of the 2016 Rio Olympics, according to the group on Aug. 5.

This will be the 27-year-old’s debut in the Olympic Games. He is the first Korean representative to compete in the Olympic equestrian event in eight years. He is also the country’s first to take part in one of the world’s top three equestrian competitions that include the World Championships and the World Cup finals. 

In 2012, Kim took third place in the Wellington Classic Dressage Sunshine Challenge held in 2012 to become the first Korean to win an international equestrian competition. Two years later, he competed in the FEI World Equestrian Games and the FEI World Cup finals. The same year, Kim nabbed a gold and silver at the Incheon Asian Games.

Hanwha Group said that back in 1964, Hanwha Group founder -- late Kim Jong-hee -- first brought in horses from overseas to encourage the Korean team to take part in the equestrian events. His son, the incumbent Hanwha chairman, established the Hanwha Galleria equestrian team, and he was also chairman of the Korea Equestrian Federation in 2012.

Meanwhile, Dong-sun is currently head of new growth strategies at Hanwha Engineering & Construction.

By Kim Ji-hyun (jemmie@heraldcorp.com)