South Korean figure skater Park So-youn has finished ninth at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan.

It is the first time that a South Korean figure skater other than Kim Yu-na ranked among the top ten at the championships. Park scored her personal best both in the short program and free skate.

Returning from Japan on Monday, she pledged to work hard to win a medal in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. She added she is glad that her performance will allow two South Korean skaters to compete in next year’s championships.

Meanwhile, figure skater Kim Jin-seo became the first Korean man to score over 200 points at the championships.

Japan's Mao Asada won first place in the ladies event, while fellow Japanese Yuzuru Hanyu won the gold for the men.