Opening of the Secretariat of the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Organizing Committee

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo (fourth from the right) attended the opening ceremony of the Secretariat of the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee on the 11th floor of the Kyobo Life Insurance Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 3rd. After unveiling the plaque, he posed for a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The Organizing Committee for the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games held an opening ceremony for its secretariat office and pledged to successfully host the Games.

On the 3rd, the Organizing Committee held the secretariat opening ceremony at the Kyobo Life Insurance Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, attended by Park Yang-woo, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Woo Byung-ryul, Deputy Governor of Gangwon Province for Economic Affairs; Yoo Seung-min, IOC Athletes' Commission member; and mayors and county heads of the host cities.

The Organizing Committee officially announced the start of preparations for the Games with the secretariat plaque unveiling ceremony. Additionally, they shared plans for the Games' preparation and Organizing Committee operations with the government and host cities.

The Organizing Committee completed the legal establishment process through the inaugural general meeting held on September 3. The secretariat was organized with a total of 50 members, including the Secretary-General, 2 headquarters, and 5 departments, with plans to expand the organization in the future.

By September 2021, the Organizing Committee plans to work with the IOC to draft the basic plan for the Games, establishing the fundamental framework for each sector, including the vision and goals of the Games, competition and venue facilities, accommodation, transportation, and food and beverage services.

The 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games will be held from January 19 to February 2, 2024, with participation from over 70 countries, approximately 2,600 athletes, and officials.

The Organizing Committee aims for a Games "For, With and By Youth," expanding the base of winter sports to the youth demographic and providing various cultural and educational programs where young people can experience the values of sports, human rights, and winter sports beyond medals and results, embracing Olympic values such as inclusion, peace, reconciliation, and cooperation.

Minister Park Yang-woo of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated, "Now that the Organizing Committee's secretariat is established and has officially begun its work, I hope that the government, host cities, IOC, and the sports community will all cooperate to do their best for the successful hosting of the Games."

Chairman Shin Chang-jae of the Organizing Committee also said, "We plan to make the Winter Youth Olympic Games a platform where young people from around the world can grow into 'global citizens' who understand and care for each other, and to create a Games where youth are the main protagonists."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.