Sports Development Merit, Korea Sports Awards, Sports Event Hosting Merit, and Korea Sports Industry Grand Prize
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on May 27 that it is accepting nominations for candidates in four categories of the '2025 Sports Promotion Merit Awards' (Sports Development Merit, Korea Sports Awards, Sports Event Hosting Merit, and Sports Industry Grand Prize) in order to boost the morale of athletes and promote national sports.
The Sports Development Merit award was established in 1973 to honor those who have contributed to the advancement of sports, elevated the status of sports, and contributed to national development. The award is given to athletes and coaches who have achieved outstanding results in international competitions such as the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Championships, as well as to those who have contributed to the development of national sports by discovering and nurturing elite athletes or by attracting and hosting international competitions. Recipients are awarded orders and medals of merit.
Member sports organizations and provincial sports councils affiliated with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee should recommend candidates to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, while affiliated organizations and provincial branches of the Korea Paralympic Committee should recommend candidates to the Korea Paralympic Committee. Central government agencies, local governments, public institutions, and organizations or academic societies in the sports field may recommend candidates to the Sports Policy Division or the Division for Sports for the Disabled at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The deadline for candidate submissions to the Ministry is June 30, and the application schedules for the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and the Korea Paralympic Committee can be found on each institution’s website.
The Korea Sports Awards, established in 1963, confer Presidential and Ministerial Commendations to outstanding athletes who have contributed to the development of national sports, as well as to individuals who have made significant achievements in sports research, policy, or the promotion of national sports. The awards are divided into nine categories: Competition Award, Research Award, Coaching Award, Merit Award, Promotion Award, Disabled Athlete Award, Disabled Sports Award, Referee Award, and Exemplary Parent Award. Nomination documents must be submitted to the Sports Policy Division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism by June 30.
The Sports Event Hosting Merit award is presented annually to individuals who have contributed to the organization of national comprehensive sports events (National [Winter] Sports Festival, National Youth Sports Festival, National Sports for All Festival), national disabled (Winter) sports events, national disabled student sports events, and the National Inclusive Sports for All Festival, as well as to the promotion of sports for all. Nominations for contributors to the National Sports Festival and Sports for All are accepted by the Sports Promotion Division at the Ministry, while nominations for contributors to the National Disabled Sports Festival and National Inclusive Sports for All Festival are accepted by the Division for Sports for the Disabled.
The Korea Sports Industry Grand Prize was established in 2005 to recognize individuals, organizations, and companies that have made outstanding contributions to the development of the sports industry. The award covers all areas of the sports industry (facilities, equipment, and services) as well as related fields (such as sports science and sports law). Nomination documents are accepted by the Sports Industry Division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Detailed schedules for nomination, review, and award ceremonies for the Sports Event Hosting Merit and Korea Sports Industry Grand Prize will be announced separately in June.
The recipients of the Sports Development Merit and Korea Sports Awards will be finalized through public verification of candidates, review by the Ministry’s Merit Review Committee, and qualification screening by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The award ceremony is scheduled to be held on Sports Day, October 15.
Detailed information on the award criteria, nomination submission methods, and schedules for each category can be found on the websites of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, the Korea Paralympic Committee, and the Orders and Medals website of Korea.
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