Yoon: "Sports Industry as a National Growth Engine"... Unveils 'Vision Trinity Theory' (Comprehensive)

President Yoon Visits Jincheon to Encourage National Athletes... "The Power of Sports is Great"
Emphasizes 'Trinity Theory' of Growth Engine Development, Talent Nurturing, and Welfare Expansion
Economic Growth Through Sports Industry... "We Will Create Quality Jobs"

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] President Yoon Suk-yeol announced on the 14th that "the sports industry will be designated and fostered as a national growth engine." Along with this, the government’s sports vision, focusing on nurturing sports talents and expanding welfare, was also unveiled. President Yoon has already instructed relevant ministries regarding the guarantee of the national sports rights and the establishment of a professional sports system.

On the morning of the same day, President Yoon attended the '2023 Republic of Korea Sports Vision Report Meeting' held at the National Training Center for National Athletes in Jincheon, Chungbuk, and stated, "We will expand support for everyday sports so that all citizens can enjoy sports, while also striving to create an environment for professional sports."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering a congratulatory speech at the 2023 Korea Sports Vision Report held at the Jincheon Athlete Village in Chungbuk on the 14th. Photo by Yonhap News

At this event, President Yoon revealed the government’s 'Sports Vision.' The so-called 'Trinity Theory' includes ▲ fostering the 'sports industry' as a national growth engine ▲ nurturing world-class 'elite sports' talents ▲ expanding 'sports welfare' for public health and everyday sports. President Yoon said, "The power of Korean sports, which has united the hearts of the people, is truly great," and added, "I ask all sportspeople to work together not only to promote sports but also to improve the health of the nation."

He also mentioned economic growth through fostering the sports industry. President Yoon said, "Sports is also an industry, and we must not overlook its economic industrial aspects," adding, "As an industrial infrastructure invested in by the state, Korean sports will create tremendous economic value and generate a huge number of quality jobs."

President Yoon also strongly expressed his commitment to the sports industry during a preliminary meeting with the heads of provincial sports councils in the second term of local governments. He shared, "When I attended the G20 summit, both the FIFA president and the IOC president were present, and their status was comparable to that of national leaders." He introduced a story that the then FIFA president mentioned, "The official statistics of the football market are close to 100 trillion won, but in reality, it seems to be several times that amount," emphasizing the scale and importance of the sports industry.

Furthermore, President Yoon said, "The English Premier League has even created its own payment system in cooperation with the financial industry," urging the need for collaboration with other industries for the development of the sports industry. He also mentioned the necessity of nurturing star players for the development of the sports industry, saying, "Just as top actors are important for the development of the film industry and top singers for popular music, top athletes are crucial for the development of the sports industry."

President Yoon’s interest in supporting the sports community remains steady. Even during his candidacy, he invited sports figures to hear various opinions, and he personally attended the National Sports Festival held last October, delivering a message that "all citizens will be guaranteed the freedom to have fair opportunities to engage in sports activities." In particular, President Yoon promised that the government would carefully examine and support citizens’ sports activities. He stated, "The government will provide detailed support for sports activities throughout the life cycle and expand local sports infrastructure," and announced plans to expand support for sports activities for vulnerable groups, increase customized sports facilities and programs for people with disabilities, and revitalize school sports.

The government’s commitment to supporting professional sports was also emphasized. President Yoon directly mentioned improving the treatment of athletes and coaches, scientific training using cutting-edge technology, sportspeople’s mutual aid and scholarship projects, and career and startup support, pledging to focus on nurturing professional athletes. On the same day, he also conveyed plans to the heads of provincial sports councils to strengthen organizational operations and secure financial resources to ensure the self-sustainability of local sports councils. President Yoon said, "We will support all our citizens to enjoy the basic right to sports equally and without discrimination anytime and anywhere."

Meanwhile, the Yoon administration’s sports policy centers on "guaranteeing the national sports rights for citizens to freely enjoy sports" and "establishing a healthy professional sports system." Last month, during a briefing on the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s work, President Yoon received related reports and urged the establishment of a foundation where all citizens can equally enjoy cultural, artistic, and sports activities without exclusion, regardless of location.

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