South Korean swimming sensation Hwang Sun-woo has won his first gold medal at the world's top short course competition.

The South Korean swimmer won the men's 200-meter freestyle at the FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on Friday with a time of 1 minute, 41.60 seconds.

It is Hwang's first gold medal at a major international competition, after making an impressive debut at this year's Tokyo Olympics.

Hwang finished fifth in the 100-meters and seventh in the 200-meters in Tokyo, setting several records along the way, including an Asian record in the 100-meters during the semifinals. 

He was the first South Korean swimmer since Park Tae-hwan to reach an Olympic final.