"Hosting the 2029 Sangigun Veterans Sports Competition to Enhance Honors for Disabled Veterans"

"We Will Host the Invictus Games in Daejeon"

Lee Hee-wan, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, said on the 8th (local time), "We will use the hosting of the 2029 Invictus Games (World Disabled Veterans Sports Competition) as an opportunity to enhance the honor given to disabled veterans."

Vice Minister Lee made this statement during an interview with the joint press corps of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs held at the Vancouver Convention Centre that afternoon. He visited Vancouver to attend the opening ceremony of the 2025 Canada Invictus Games (the 7th World Disabled Veterans Sports Competition).

Previously, the government dispatched a delegation led by Vice Minister Lee to the 2025 Canada Invictus Games site to bid for the 2029 Invictus Games. Vice Minister Lee said, "We are trying to host the 2029 Invictus Games in Daejeon," adding, "Tomorrow (local time on the 9th), I plan to meet with senior officials of the Invictus Games Foundation (IGF), including Prince Harry, to submit a letter of intent for hosting."

The Invictus Games is a competition aimed at the rehabilitation of disabled veterans through sports. It was established under the leadership of Prince Harry of the United Kingdom (the second son of King Charles III), who participated in the Afghanistan War, and was first held in London, UK, in 2014. The current Canada event is the 7th edition.

Regarding the strategy for hosting the Invictus Games, Vice Minister Lee explained, "Above all, we have the will, and we will explain to the foundation that we intend to use the hosting of the Invictus Games as an opportunity to enhance the honor given to disabled veterans," adding, "If held in the Republic of Korea, it will be the first time in Asia, which could be significant to the IGF foundation."

He also added, "As a country that fought in the Korean War, we have many disabled veterans and received support from many countries (UN allied countries) during the war," noting, "While this is a historical pain, the foundation may highly appreciate this aspect."

Vice Minister Lee himself is a disabled veteran who sustained a gunshot wound to his leg during the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong in 2002. Regarding the opening ceremony, he said, "I was moved by the scene where the audience gave standing ovations to every speech and performance," and he expressed that he became convinced that the Invictus Games must be hosted and felt a greater sense of responsibility for policies supporting disabled veterans.

Meanwhile, the opening ceremony of the 2025 Canada Invictus Games was held that afternoon at BC Place Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics took place, with about 40,000 attendees. The ceremony featured commemorative performances by Canadian pop stars Nelly Furtado and Roxanne Bruno, as well as American pop stars Katy Perry and Noah Kahan.