S. Korean Paralympic team heads to Paris

“Your achievement brings a great honor to South Korea,” Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon said during the inaugural ceremony of South Korea’s national team for the Paris Paralympics in Seoul on Monday. While it is customary for the minister to attend the opening ceremony of the national Olympic team and the vice-minister to attend that of the national Paralympics team, Minister Yoo and Vice-minister Jang Mi-ran, a former weightlifter who won an Olympic gold, switched the order. The minister also attended the opening ceremony of the Paralympics instead of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 during his first term.

“Your lives, in and of themselves, are dramatic stories, and you are the protagonists of the stories,” said Minister Yoo. “While training must have been hard at times, I hope you will do your best until the end.” The minister also gave his hand-written letters to Kim Young-geon, a table tennis player, and Lee Do-yeon, a cyclist.

The South Korean team's athletes will head to Paris on Wednesday, based on the schedule of each event. The Korean Paralympic Committee will run an athlete camp in the suburbs of Paris from Wednesday through August 26 to help the athletes adapt to the location and stay in good condition. The team aims to earn five or more gold medals, ranking itself in the Top 20 overall. The Paris Paralympics will begin with the opening ceremony, which will be held at 3 am on August 29, Korea Time, and last for 12 days.


김정훈기자 hun@donga.com