*This content was translated by AI.View Original
The Korea Sports Council (Chairman Yoo Seung-min) successfully concluded the "2026 Korea-Japan and Korea-China Amateur Sports Exchange Missions" held in Japan and China last September and October.
A total of 219 participants took part in this year's missions, including a 157-member Korea-Japan Amateur Sports Exchange team comprising 8 sports (tennis, basketball, badminton, volleyball, soccer, pickleball, soft tennis, and bowling) formed by amateur enthusiasts from the Gyeongsangnam-do region, and a 62-member Korea-China Amateur Sports Exchange team comprising 5 sports (Go, tennis, badminton, table tennis, and basketball) formed by enthusiasts from the Jeollanam-do region.
Choi Jin-deok, Vice Chairman of the Gyeongsangnam-do Sports Council, served as the team leader for the Korea-Japan exchange, while Jo Seong-sil, Vice Chairman of the Jeollanam-do Sports Council, led the Korea-China exchange team.
The Korea-Japan exchange, which marks its 30th anniversary this year, is a meaningful event that has continued to foster friendship since its inception in 1997, with teams from both countries participating in each other's representative amateur sports tournaments.
This year, the Korean team participated in "Japan Sports Masters 2026," held in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, from September 17 to 22. The team secured two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in bowling, while also achieving notable results of third place in the men's division and seventh place in the women's division at the Individual Masters.
Subsequently, the Korea-China exchange was conducted from October 23 to 27 in Zibo City, Shandong Province, China. The Korea-China exchange, which began in 2000, has established itself as a venue for amateur sports enthusiasts from both countries to share their skills through sport-specific competitions and build friendships.
This year, following the measures agreed upon at the January Korea-China summit to expand cultural and sports exchanges, Go was included for the first time among the optional sports for adult exchanges.
In addition to sport-specific competitions, both events featured various exchange activities such as welcome banquets, cultural tours, and farewell banquets. The teams experienced local history and culture at sites including Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castle Park in Japan, and the Confucius Temple and Lu Yuan Village in China, spending time strengthening mutual understanding and friendship.
Yoo Seung-min, Chairman of the Korea Sports Council, stated, "International amateur sports exchanges are a precious opportunity to understand each other's cultures and build friendships beyond the wins and losses of competition," adding, "We will continue to strive for promoting inter-national friendship and revitalizing international exchanges through amateur sports."
Meanwhile, this year's Korea-Japan and Korea-China Amateur Sports Exchange events were carried out with financial support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Sports Promotion Fund.
The Korea Sports Council emphasized, "We plan to continuously expand inter-national amateur sports exchanges and apply diverse exchange experiences to domestic amateur sports settings to contribute to the revitalization of amateur sports."
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*This content was translated by AI.View Original
