Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Jeju hosts the first-ever National Games for Persons with Disabilities as Kim Dae-hyeon (Vice Minister) says, "May the sweat shed lead to results at the Asian Para Games"

*This content was translated by AI.

The "46th National Games for Persons with Disabilities," Korea's largest sports festival for persons with disabilities, opened on the 11th across Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The opening ceremony was held at Jeju World Cup Stadium, where Kim Dae-hyun, Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry), attended and declared the games open.

Sponsored by the Ministry and hosted by the Korean Paralympic Committee, this event marks the first time in history since its inception in 1981 that the National Games for Persons with Disabilities are being held in Jeju. Co-organized by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, the Provincial Office of Education, and the Jeju Provincial Sports Association for Persons with Disabilities, the games will run for six days until the 16th under the slogan "Running Together in Korea from Bright Jeju."

A total of approximately 9,200 athletes and officials from all 17 provinces and cities across the country, as well as Korean-American sports organizations, participated in this event. Athletes will compete in 31 sports, including badminton, bowling, boccia, and table tennis, at 39 venues within the province.

Notably, this games serve as a precursor to the "2026 Aichi·Nagoya Asian Para Games" scheduled for October, drawing attention as an opportunity to preview the skills of key national team athletes who will wear the Taegeuk mark on international stages.

Following his opening declaration, Kim Dae-hyun, Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, plans to visit Jeju Complex Gymnasium and Daehyun Perfect Bowling Club on the 12th to personally watch the main rounds of badminton and bowling matches and encourage the participating athletes.

Kim (Vice Minister) stated, "Having witnessed the difficult training processes that athletes endured to reach the National Games for Persons with Disabilities, I hope their efforts lead to the results they aim for," and added, "I also expect valuable achievements at the Asian Para Games next month."

Meanwhile, all matches of this event are free to watch on-site. The finals of major sports—boccia, table tennis, and badminton—will be broadcast live on Korea Broadcasting System Channel 1 (KBS1), while the opening and closing ceremonies and all other events will be streamed via the Korean Paralympic Committee's online broadcast (KPC-TV). Detailed schedules and venues for each sport can be confirmed on the official games website.

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*This content was translated by AI.