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Toby Dawson

b. 1979

Korean-American freestyle skier

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About Toby Dawson

Born 1979. Toby Dawson is an American and South Korean freestyle skier.

Toby Dawson (; Kim Soo-cheol; born Kim Bong-seok; ; May 4, 1979) is a Korean-American retired mogul skier. He won a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Dawson is a featured athlete on the sports medicine show Athlete 360. He is currently a coach for the Korean national freestyle skiing team.

Early life Dawson was born in Busan, South Korea as Kim Bong-seok. When he was three, then-Kim Bong-seok was at a crowded Jungang market in Beomil-dong, Dong-gu, Busan with his mother and went missing. His father went through many orphanages in the area for days, and his son was nowhere to be found. A couple from Vail, Colorado, who were ski instructors, adopted Kim Bong-seok and he was renamed Toby Dawson.

Reunion with biological parents A man from Busan, Kim Jae-su , saw Dawson's image in the media; Kim had a missing son of Dawson's age, a DNA test has proven that Jae-su is indeed Dawson's biological father. Dawson and Kim met in Seoul for the first time on Wednesday, February 28, 2007, along with Kim's younger son. Dawson has stated his intent to start a foundation, named after his birth name, to prevent such cases in the future. After the reunion, Kim, Dawson, and his biological younger brother had lunch.

Dawson met his biological mother on Friday, November 2, 2012, in Busan, South Korea, according to his Twitter, with his biological father and brother.

He is a PR ambassador for Korea National Tourism Organization and the 2014, 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee.

Personal life Dawson married Leah Halmi on March 14, 2007, in Palm Springs, California. They held a second wedding ceremony on May 24, 2007, in Busan, South Korea. Dawson and his wife were featured on the WE TV show "Platinum Weddings," which premiered on June 24, 2007. The couple wrote a book together, Twenty-Two Years for Twenty-Two Seconds. They divorced in 2009.

On September 14, 2013, Dawson married Kim Yeon-ji, a former member of the South Korean national taekwondo team in Seoul. Kim won the World Taekwondo Championships twice in 2001 and 2003.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Also known as
Toby S. C. Dawson, Kim Bong-seok, Kim Soo-cheol

People in Toby Dawson's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Toby Dawson's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Toby Dawson?

Korean-American freestyle skier

When was Toby Dawson born?

Toby Dawson was born on 4 May 1979 in Busan.

What is Toby Dawson's occupation?

Toby Dawson is a freestyle skier.

What nationality is Toby Dawson?

Toby Dawson is American and South Korean.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Toby Dawson

· Wikidata: Q496981

· DBpedia: Toby Dawson

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Toby Dawson. https://biography.guide/toby-dawson/

MLA: "Toby Dawson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/toby-dawson/.

Chicago: "Toby Dawson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/toby-dawson/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-21 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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