The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that on the morning of the 26th at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Minister Choi Huieong met with Yoo Seungmin, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Kunin Patama Riswadkul to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in the field of international sports.
Commissioner Kunin Patama became the first Thai woman to be appointed as an IOC member in 2017. She is currently Thailand's only IOC member and serves as President of the Badminton World Federation. She visited Korea to attend the '2025 Suwon Victor Korea Open Badminton Tournament,' which began on the 25th and runs until the 28th.
Commissioner Kunin Patama is the first IOC member that Minister Choi Huieong has met since taking office. Minister Choi stated, "It is meaningful to begin exchanges with the IOC on the occasion of Commissioner Kunin Patama's visit to Korea. Based on Korea's experience in hosting the Olympics, we aim to carry on the Olympic legacy and take the lead in promoting the Olympic spirit." He added, "I was deeply impressed by Commissioner Kunin Patama's dedication to the Olympics and the development of Thai sports, to the extent that she is called the 'Olympic Queen' in Thailand. In particular, her charitable activities that combine sports and the arts, based on her experience as Chair of the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cultural Promotion Fund, align with the policy direction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism."
Yoo Seungmin, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, Kunin Patama Riswadkul, President of the Badminton World Federation (IOC Member), and Choi Huieong, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (from left), are taking a commemorative photo on the morning of the 26th at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul. [Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]
President Yoo Seungmin said, "I pay tribute to your contributions as an IOC member and President of the Badminton World Federation in advancing public-private cooperation in international sports and the development of badminton. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee seeks to strengthen cooperation with the IOC and take the lead in spreading the Olympic movement. In addition, since badminton is a popular sport in both Korea and Thailand, I hope international cooperation will expand further in the future."
In response, Commissioner Kunin Patama said, "Korea is a global sports powerhouse and has contributed to promoting the Olympic spirit by hosting both the Summer and Winter Olympics. I expect that cooperation with Korea in badminton and other sports will greatly contribute to the development of international sports."
Minister Choi continued, "Since signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on sports exchanges in 1993, Korea and Thailand have continued active sports exchanges. We have maintained diverse cooperation, including joint training for athletes and exchanges of coaches in various sports such as bowling, skiing, cycling, and athletics, as well as support for sports equipment and degree programs for sports administrators."
Commissioner Kunin Patama remarked, "I was impressed by the 'Dream Program,' in which the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism invites Thai youth to experience Korean winter and learn winter sports. In particular, it was a very meaningful achievement that a Thai athlete who participated in the Dream Program won Thailand's first-ever Olympic medal in winter sports at the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics."
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated that, taking this meeting as an opportunity, it will work with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee to expand international sports exchanges and strengthen the status of Korean sports through cooperation with the Olympic and Asian international sports communities.
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