The international skating governing body rejected South Korea's protest against the disqualification of one of its short track speed skaters at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

In a statement on Tuesday, the International Skating Union(ISU) said Hwang Dae-heon was penalized after the semifinal heat of the men's one-thousand-meter race for what the referee called "an illegal late pass causing contact" with another skater.

Citing federation regulations, the ISU said no protests are allowed against decisions on disqualification or non-disqualification for violating racing rules. It said the chief referee stood by his final decision after an additional video review.

The controversial disqualification of the South Korean skater was announced after he finished first in his heat Monday night without noticeable contact with his competitors.

Another South Korean skater, Lee June-seo, was also disqualified for "a lane change that caused contact with another skater," after finishing second in his semifinal heat.

Both rulings allowed Chinese skaters to advance to the final race, with two winning gold and silver medals in the event on home ice. South Korea plans to take both Hwang and Lee’s disqualifications to the Court of Arbitration for Sport(CAS).