Returning on the 13th After the Olympics
Achievement of Winning 32 Medals
The South Korean delegation, which delivered outstanding performances at the 2024 Paris Olympics, returned home triumphantly on the 13th.
More than 50 people, including Lee Ki-heung, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, headquarters executives, and athletes from seven sports, returned through Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of the 13th.
Jeong Gang-seon, the head of the South Korean delegation for the Paris Olympics, is waving the Taegeukgi flag as he returns home through Incheon International Airport on the 13th. [Photo by Kim Hyun-min]
The medalists who set foot on Korean soil were Taekwondo men's 58kg gold medalist Park Tae-jun (20, Kyung Hee University), weightlifting women's super heavyweight silver medalist Park Hye-jung (21, Goyang City Hall), modern pentathlon women's bronze medalist Seong Seung-min (21, Korea National Sport University), and boxing women's 54kg bronze medalist Lim Ae-ji (25, Hwasun County Office).
At the arrival hall, Lee Ki-heung, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, said, "Despite various concerns about elite sports and performance, we achieved an astonishing result by winning the most medals ever on an overseas expedition," adding, "I sincerely thank all the athletes who showed their best through relentless effort and fighting spirit."
He continued, "The athletes' beautiful challenges and achievements brought not only joy but also great courage and hope to the people exhausted by the heat, and through the national anthem resonating in the heart of Paris, we conveyed pride," adding, "The Sport & Olympic Committee will spare no support to create an environment where athletes can focus solely on their training and perform at their best."
South Korea sent a total of 144 athletes (in 21 sports), the smallest delegation in history for this event, but achieved an overall ranking of 8th place. This is the first time in eight years since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics that South Korea ranked within the top 10 in the Summer Olympics medal standings.
The total number of medals was 32, consisting of 13 gold, 9 silver, and 10 bronze medals. The 13 gold medals tie the record for the most golds won at a single event, alongside the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games.
The performance reward money to be given to the medal-winning athletes and coaches is expected to reach approximately 1.5 billion KRW.
The Korea Sports Promotion Foundation announced on the day, "A total of 96 people are eligible for performance reward money support for this event, and about 1.5 billion KRW will be paid."
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