Busan is good

Over 1,500 Overseas Korean Athletes to Participate in the 106th National Sports Festival A Festival of Unity Where Everyone Runs Together

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A total of 1,512 athletes and officials from overseas Korean sports organizations across 18 countries will participate in the 106th National Sports Festival, making it the largest delegation in the 2020s. The U.S. team, comprising 167 members, is the largest among the 18 delegations.

Athletes will compete in eight events for overseas Korean teams, including soccer and tennis, while some will also take part in general divisions such as swimming and judo, competing alongside domestic athletes.

Busan Metropolitan City has organized dedicated support teams for each participating country to ensure athletes can focus fully on their events, aiming to conclude the festival as a true “Festival of Harmony.”

Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that a total of 1,512 members of overseas Korean sports organizations (formerly known as overseas compatriot delegations) from 18 countries are participating in the 106th National Sports Festival, which begins today (October 17).

This year’s delegation marks the largest participation in the 2020s, surpassing previous years: 1,331 participants in Ulsan (2022), 1,475 in Jeollanam-do (2023), and 1,478 in Gyeongsangnam-do (2024).

Overview of Participation by Overseas Korean Sports Organizations in the 106th National Sports Festival

• ●Participation period: October 14 (Tue, arrival) – October 24 (Fri, departure), 11 days

• ●Number of participants: 1,512 athletes and officials from 18 countries

• ●Events: 15 in total (8 for overseas Korean divisions, 7 for general divisions)

• ○Overseas Korean divisions: Soccer, tennis, bowling, golf, table tennis, squash, taekwondo, and kendo

• ○General divisions: Swimming, judo, weightlifting, boxing, shooting, track and field (100m), and wrestling

Overseas Korean teams will compete in eight events including soccer and tennis. Some athletes will also participate in general events such as swimming and judo, showcasing their skills against provincial teams.
Among the 18 overseas Korean organizations, the largest delegation comes from the United States with 167 participants, followed by Japan (158), Indonesia (147), and Australia (142).

To create an environment where overseas Korean athletes can focus entirely on their games, the city has operated dedicated support teams for each country since October 14, composed of around 230 city officials.
These teams will closely assist delegations during the opening ceremony held today (October 17), and on the following day (October 18), they will visit athletes’ accommodations to welcome them back to their homeland.
In addition, a welcome banquet for overseas Korean athletes will be held on October 21 to encourage participants and foster friendship and unity.

Son Tae-uk, Director General of the Bureau of Sports, said, “We sincerely thank all the overseas Korean athletes who traveled to their homeland to participate in this year’s National Sports Festival. As the festival is being held in Busan for the first time in 25 years, we will do our utmost to make it a true festival of harmony.”