By Lee Kap-soo
President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee attended the opening ceremony of the 104th Korean National Sports Festival held at the Mokpo Sports Complex on Oct. 13.
The 104th edition of the National Games, which features athletes from 17 cities and provinces across the country, as well as overseas Korean athletes from around the world, was held in Jeollanam-do for the first time in 15 years since Yeosu in 2008, and will run for seven days from October 13 to 19.
The 104th edition of the National Games featured overseas Korean athletes from 18 countries (Japan, the United States, Germany, Canada, Spain, Hong Kong, Brazil, Australia, Argentina, Guam, Saipan, New Zealand, the Philippines, China, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam).
The opening ceremony attendees, including the citizens of Gwangju and Mokpo, welcomed the President and his wife with loud applause. At the entrance ceremony for the athletes, the President and his wife waved at each local team as they entered, along with the governors of their respective provinces, to encourage the athletes.
In his congratulatory remarks, the President encouraged the athletes, saying, "The 104th edition of the National Games has been a solid foundation for Korea's growth as a sports powerhouse."
The President went on to emphasize that "sports are a driving force for national development by training people's minds and bodies, and are a fundamental cultural right for each citizen," and that "sports unite our people." "The government will ensure that everyone in our country can enjoy sports rights fairly," he said.
To this end, the President said, "We will densify local infrastructure and strengthen support for ensuring sports rights, especially for marginalized groups and people with disabilities."
"We will do our best to develop the sports industry, promote elite sports, and improve the welfare of athletes," the President said, adding, "I wish you a successful festival where the entire nation can enjoy and be united by sports."
At the event, a performance was held using more than 500 drones to form the image of Naro being launched and heading into space, and all the participants, including the President, were impressed by the colorful and beautiful appearance.
The Mokpo General Stadium, where the event was held, was completed in September, and the opening ceremony was the first official event held at the stadium since its completion.
Meanwhile, before attending the opening ceremony, the President had a dinner with provincial governors and superintendents of education from across the country.
The dinner was held as an encouragement to the nation's municipal governors and local superintendents who organize the annual tour of the National Games, which contribute to the development of local sports and national unity.
Before the dinner, the President said, "Thank you for your warm welcome in Mokpo," and added, "I am even more happy to be here with the city governors and superintendents. I believe that gathering together so often is a way to build friendships, help us understand each other and become one."
The President continued, "I hope the National Games will unite the people, and I wish Mokpo a successful event. We will all support it together."
At the dinner, the President and the guests discussed the population and economic situation of Mokpo, as well as the budgets and local economies and industries of cities across the country, and Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon, who had just returned from Paris, introduced the status of the 2030 Busan World Expo bid.
In addition, Park In-bee, a candidate for the IOC Athletes' Commission and an ambassador for the Korean Sports Federation, presented the President with a golf cap she purchased at the Rio Olympics.
The dinner menu included Korean dishes including Mokpo's famous octopus tangtang, and the song "Mokpo's Tears" was played at the dinner to create a local atmosphere.
The dinner was cut short due to the President's attendance at the event, and attendees thanked the President for taking the time out of his busy schedule and expressed their regret that they were unable to spend more time with him.
The restaurant where the dinner was held had a banner that read, "Welcome to President Yoon Suk-yeol," and after the meal, the President and his wife made a rare visit to the kitchen to encourage the staff who prepared the food. They also took pictures with the restaurant owners and staff and expressed their gratitude for the delicious food.
The dinner was attended by Mayor Park Hong-ryul of Mokpo, the host city of the National Games, as well as the mayors of Busan, Gwangju, and Ulsan, the governors of Jeonnam and Chungcheongbuk-do, Sejong Special Self-Governing Province, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, and the superintendents of education from Seoul, Incheon, Busan, Daejeon, Daegu, Gwangju, Ulsan, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungbuk, Gyeongbuk, Jeonnam, and Jeju.
