Met Function Olympics Team, Yoon Pledges "To Build a Society Where Skilled Technicians Are Respected"

President Yoon Holds Luncheon with Team Ranked 2nd Overall at WorldSkills Competition
Urges Continued Interest in Companies

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol is viewing the Youth Job Experience Center Space Center booth before attending the International Skills Olympics team encouragement luncheon held at Korea Job World in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do on the morning of the 16th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] President Yoon Suk-yeol announced on the 16th that he will foster young technical talents and create a society where skilled technicians are respected.

On the same day, President Yoon held a luncheon with the team that achieved 2nd place overall at this year's WorldSkills Competition at Korea Job World in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, stating, "In the rapidly advancing Fourth Industrial Revolution, 'technology' and 'talent' determine the fate of a nation." The luncheon was attended by 50 national team members and 40 coaches of the WorldSkills Competition. First Lady Kim Keon-hee accompanied President Yoon to encourage the team.

President Yoon expressed gratitude to the companies that sponsored and hired the athletes and urged continued interest. Representatives of sponsoring companies, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and HD Hyundai Chairman Kwon Oh-gap, were also present.

President Yoon congratulated the athletes who prepared diligently and achieved excellent results despite several postponements of the competition due to COVID-19, and also expressed appreciation to the coaches who have worked with the athletes for a long time.

Earlier, on September 14, President Yoon became the first president in about 30 years to visit the training center before the competition to encourage the athletes and wish them success. This luncheon was held three months after that training center visit.

The WorldSkills Competition is held every two years, where young technical talents under 22 years old (under 25 for some categories) compete in various skills ranging from traditional fields such as welding and furniture making to IT fields like cybersecurity and cloud computing. This year, 1,015 athletes from 60 countries worldwide competed in 61 categories.

Korea sent 51 athletes in 46 categories and competed fiercely with China and Taiwan until the final stages, ultimately achieving 2nd place overall. The Presidential Office evaluated this by stating, "Among the 46 categories Korea participated in, athletes won awards (excellence or higher) in 44 categories, once again elevating the status of Korea as a technology powerhouse."

Meanwhile, before the luncheon, President Yoon and the First Lady visited the Youth Job Experience Center inside Korea Job World and greeted the youths experiencing various jobs and skills.

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