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The government has made a bid to host the 'Invictus Games,' marking the first time an Asian country has challenged to host this event.

On the afternoon of the 10th (local time), Park Min-sik, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, officially expressed Korea's intention to host the Invictus Games in 2029 during a meeting with Prince Harry, the founder of the Games, at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in D?sseldorf, Germany, where the '2023 Germany Invictus Games' are currently being held. If successful, Korea will become the first Asian country to host the Invictus Games.

On the second day of the 2023 Germany Invictus Games for wounded veterans held in D?sseldorf, Germany, on the 10th (local time), Park Min-sik, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (right), is watching a wheelchair rugby match with Prince Harry of the United Kingdom, the founder of the Games. At the event, athletes from South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine competed as a multinational combined team. /Joint coverage by the Ministry of National Defense Photo by the Ministry of National Defense Joint Coverage Team

The Invictus Games is an international competition honoring and promoting unity among wounded veterans who sacrificed for their countries. This year, about 500 wounded veterans from 22 countries are competing in 10 sports, including archery, weightlifting, and athletics. Korea is participating with a total of 36 athletes across 8 sports, including archery, table tennis, and athletics.

The Games began in 2014 in the United Kingdom, followed by the United States in 2016, Canada in 2017, Australia in 2018, and the Netherlands in 2022. After this year's event in Germany, the seventh Games in 2025 are scheduled to be held again in Canada. The Invictus Foundation believes that hosting the Games for the first time in an Asian country would help broaden the event's reach. Korea is participating in the Invictus Games for the second time this year, following last year's event in the Netherlands.

Minister Park stated, "The image of wounded veterans challenging their limits with indomitable will resembles Korea's own story of rising from the ruins of war to achieve remarkable growth." He added, "We want to host the 2029 Games in Korea." Prince Harry responded to the bid by saying, "If the Korean government actively pursues hosting the Invictus Games, it could be possible to hold the event as early as 2027." He also noted, "Hosting the Invictus Games in Asia would be an opportunity to share the Invictus spirit worldwide."

Minister Park also expressed Korea's intention to host the Games during a meeting with veterans and defense ministers from 11 participating countries. When Korea highlighted its successful experience hosting large-scale international sports events such as the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics and the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, it reportedly received enthusiastic support. A Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs official explained, "The ministers strongly resonated with the explanation that Korea's growth overcoming the pain of the Korean War aligns with the Invictus spirit symbolizing 'indomitable' will."

On the second day of the 2023 Germany Invictus Games for wounded veterans held in D?sseldorf, Germany, on the 10th (local time), Shin Beop-gi, a South Korean athlete competing in the wheelchair rugby event as part of a multinational team with players from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine, is discussing strategy with an American player. /Photo by the Ministry of National Defense Joint Press Corps

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs plans to invite all 22 countries that participated in the Korean War if Korea successfully hosts the Invictus Games. There are also expectations that the event will contribute to the development of domestic rehabilitation and medical systems for wounded veterans, infrastructure, and even the advanced robotic prosthetics industry.

Meanwhile, Minister Park also watched a wheelchair rugby match with Prince Harry on the same day. Prince Harry showed interest in the fact that Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine formed a 'multinational coalition team' in this sport and joined in cheering. The coalition team, composed of four Ukrainian players and one player each from Korea, the U.S., and the U.K., won their preliminary match and advanced to the quarterfinals. A Ukrainian player participating as part of the coalition team said, "Being with Korea gave us great strength," and added, "I hope more support will be provided to Ukraine, which is currently at war."

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