Yoon Encourages at Paris Olympic Team Dinner... "Boldly Innovate Old Practices" (Comprehensive)

"Women's Archery Team Achieves Unprecedented 10 Consecutive Olympic Wins"
All Team Korea Members Awarded 'National Appreciation Medals'

President Yoon Suk-yeol is giving an encouraging speech at the '2024 Paris Olympic Team Encouragement Event' held at a hotel in Seoul on the 22nd. [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 22nd, "We will boldly innovate outdated practices to create a free and fair environment so that young athletes can train to their heart's content and develop their skills under better conditions."

On the same day, President Yoon held a dinner with the entire 2024 Paris Olympic team at a downtown hotel, saying, "The achievement of 32 medals and 8th place overall in this Olympics is also one of the best ever, and there are many great records set by our athletes." He emphasized, "For example, the women's archery team’s 10 consecutive Olympic victories will be recorded as an unprecedented history that no country can easily break."

President Yoon also mentioned and encouraged athletes who did not win medals but gave great inspiration to the public. He said, "This summer, despite the intense heat and tropical nights, I was truly happy because of all of you," and cheered the Olympic heroes with "Team Korea, fighting!"

He explained, "I believe sports are truly important in human life. Sports awaken us to peace and unity and what society means to us. Not only do they foster unity, peace, cooperation, and a sense of community among the people within a nation, but they also cultivate peace, unity, cooperation, and a global community spirit among all people worldwide."

He continued, "The Olympics include not only peace and unity but also the word youth. Through sports competition, youth grow, and in the future national society and the future world, youth come together to unite and achieve peace. You all played a truly wonderful role as the main protagonists of this event," he praised.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is greeting badminton gold medalist An Se-young at the '2024 Paris Olympic Team Encouragement Event' held at a hotel in Seoul on the 22nd.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

After entering the venue, President Yoon first greeted An Se-young, who won the gold medal in women's singles badminton. An had previously exposed issues within the Korea Badminton Association after winning the gold medal. President Yoon said to An, "You showed a truly wonderful match, an inspiring performance in every set," and added, "I think it was possible because you worked so hard to show the game, overcoming many injuries including a knee injury."

President Yoon said, "The achievements of this Olympics were the result of athletes' sweat and passion, systematic support, and sports science working together," and added, "However, we cannot be satisfied with this. We must ensure that young athletes can train freely and develop their skills under better conditions."

He emphasized, "We must further develop the methods that produced good results and boldly innovate outdated practices to create a free and fair training environment that fits the values, culture, and consciousness of the younger generation."

He also stated, "Recently, new sports such as surfing, sport climbing, and breaking have been continuously added," and said, "The government will also provide meticulous support so that our young athletes can boldly challenge new sports."

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee are personally awarding medals to athlete Shin Eun-cheol, who competed in the sports climbing speed event, and coach Kim Seong-jin, who guided Seong Seung-min, the bronze medalist in modern pentathlon, at the '2024 Paris Olympic Team Encouragement Event' held at a hotel in Seoul on the 22nd.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In particular, President Yoon awarded the 'National Appreciation Medal' to all 144 athletes and 90 coaches participating in the Paris Olympics that day. President Yoon and his wife Kim Keon-hee personally presented medals to coach Kim Sung-jin, who trained Shin Eun-cheol, the only Korean athlete to compete in the sport climbing speed event, and Seong Seung-min, who won the bronze medal in modern pentathlon as the first Asian female athlete, despite not winning medals at the Paris Olympics.

At the National Appreciation Medal awarding ceremony, 16 representatives?11 athletes and 5 coaches from 15 sports attending the event?received the medals. 'Sports legends' who made history in previous Olympics also participated as award presenters.

'Weightlifting legend' Jang Mi-ran, Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, awarded medals to male weightlifter Park Joo-hyo, who competed in the Paris Olympics despite a disability diagnosis, among others. 'Table tennis queen' Hyun Jung-hwa, director of the Korea Racing Authority, presented a medal to coach Seok Eun-mi of the table tennis team.

The front of this commemorative medal, proposed and created directly by President Yoon, is inscribed with the phrase "Team Korea," and the back bears the inscription, "You, who represented the Republic of Korea at the 2024 Paris Olympics, are a hero to us all." This phrase was written by President Yoon himself.

The medal has a diameter of 9 cm, slightly larger than the Paris Olympic medal (8.5 cm). The Presidential Office stated, "This is the first time in history that the president has presented commemorative medals to all athletes and coaches after the Olympics."

For the congratulatory performance, magician Lee Eun-gyeol performed a 'magic box' act together with table tennis bronze medalist Jeon Ji-hee, receiving great applause. At the end of the magic show, President Yoon and his wife expressed joy and gratitude upon receiving a surprise gift prepared by the athletes.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife receive a torch and T-shirt signed by Paris Olympic athletes Photo by Yonhap News

About 270 people attended the event, including athletes, their families, coaches, officials from sports organizations, staff from the Jincheon National Training Center, chefs dispatched to Paris to prepare meals, researchers from the Korea Institute of Sports Science, and police officers who conducted joint patrols locally. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Korea Sports Council President Lee Ki-heung, Korea Archery Association President Chung Jeong-sun, and Korea Table Tennis Association President Yoo Seung-min also participated.