Late Cho Yang-ho, Chairman of Hanjin Group, Receives Korea Sports Council Special Merit Award

Former Chair of Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Bid and Organizing Committee
First to Host World Table Tennis Championships as President of Korea Table Tennis Association

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Je-hoon] The late Cho Yang-ho, Chairman of Hanjin Group, was recognized for his contributions to Korean sports and received a Special Contribution Award.

According to industry sources on the 9th, the Korea Sports Council awarded the Special Contribution Award at the 66th Korea Sports Council Awards Ceremony held yesterday afternoon at the K-Art Hall in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. The award was accepted by his eldest son, Cho Won-tae, Chairman of Hanjin Group.

The Korea Sports Council newly established the Special Contribution Award this year to reexamine the achievements of individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of Korean sports. The late Chairman Cho is the first recipient of this Special Contribution Award.

Since 2008, the late Chairman Cho served as the President of the Korea Table Tennis Association and was active for over 10 years until his passing. During this period, he succeeded in hosting the World Table Tennis Championships for the first time in Korean sports history.

Additionally, the late Chairman Cho served as the Chairman of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Bid Committee and the Chairman of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, playing a key role in securing the Olympic bid and the successful hosting of the Games. The distance he traveled over two years for the Olympic bid amounted to approximately 640,000 km, equivalent to twice around the Earth.

Furthermore, the late Chairman Cho held positions such as Vice Chairman of the Korea Sports Council, Special Executive Advisor of the International Table Tennis Federation, and Vice Chairman of the Asian Table Tennis Union. He is also credited with greatly contributing to the development of Korean sports by providing free airline tickets to outstanding athletes through Korean Air’s 'Excellence Program.'