Yoon Makes Surprise Appearance at Paris Olympics Commemorative National Festival... "I Want to Win Gold in Livelihood and Security"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is greeting Gu Bon-gil, the 2024 Paris Olympic men's sabre team gold medalist in fencing, at the KBS Paris Olympic Commemorative National Festival 'Heroes of Paris' held on the special stage at Yeouido Park, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 16th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

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President Yoon Suk-yeol made a surprise appearance at the "2024 Paris Olympic Commemorative National Festival" held at Yeouido Park on the evening of the 16th, according to a written briefing by Presidential Spokesperson Jeong Hye-jeon.

The event was organized by the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) to welcome and celebrate the achievements of the South Korean athletes who brought joy and inspiration at the Paris Olympics. The National Festival was attended by 19 athletes including Osangwook, gold medalist in men's sabre team and individual events, and Park Tae-jun, gold medalist in men's 58KG taekwondo, along with 2 coaches and about 3,000 citizens.

President Yoon decided to visit to congratulate and encourage the athletes who achieved the best results with 13 gold medals and a total of 32 medals despite the smallest team size. Considering that it was a national festival, he minimized the number of aides to avoid causing inconvenience to the audience or disrupting the performances, attending without prior notice.

Following performances by invited singers, interviews were conducted with archer Nam Su-hyun and the men's and women's fencing teams. After the fencing team interview ended, President Yoon made a surprise appearance following the host's remarks. The athletes and audience present were momentarily stunned by the president’s arrival but soon welcomed him with applause and took photos with their phone cameras.

President Yoon entered the stage and shook hands in turn with the shooting, fencing, archery, and taekwondo teams, encouraging them by saying, "Well done." In an impromptu interview, when asked about the significance of this Paris Olympics, he said, "I often stayed up late into the night watching the Olympic games, losing sleep," and expressed gratitude, saying, "The athletes’ fighting spirit brought great joy, courage, and confidence to the people."

He especially praised Gu Bon-gil, who won gold in the men's sabre team event, saying, "His refined manners and sportsmanlike demeanor were very impressive." He also mentioned, "Kim Ye-ji, a working mom who gave her best, and archer Kim Woo-jin, who stood up from his chair during the final shoot-off," and about table tennis player Shin Yu-bin, "Our little Shin Yu-bin is adorable even when eating snacks, and her fighting spirit made me a fan."

President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the KBS Paris Olympics Commemorative National Festival 'Heroes of Paris' held on the special stage at Yeouido Park in Seoul on the afternoon of the 16th, cheering and encouraging the 2024 Paris Olympic team with a shout of "Fighting."
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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When asked which sport he would like to win a gold medal in if he participated in the Olympics, President Yoon replied, "If I went back to my school days and continued the sports I liked, I enjoyed basketball, soccer, and baseball, but I probably would have continued baseball." He added, "I vividly remember the 2008 Beijing Olympics when the Korean baseball team overcame a crisis in the final and won the gold medal. I hope we win gold in baseball at the 2028 Olympics."

President Yoon said, "I believe the fighting spirit and passion of our national athletes have been admired by people all over the world," and added, "Through our athletes, people worldwide have seen the Korean people in a great light, and from the citizens’ perspective, they are grateful to the athletes who gave a refreshing gift during the hot summer days."

Nam Su-hyun, the archer who received a congratulatory message from President Yoon, expressed gratitude, saying, "I received the president’s congratulatory message well, and thanks to that, I was able to finish the competition successfully." President Yoon shouted, "Fighting to our dedicated national athletes!" and together with the athletes and citizens, they shouted, "Team Korea, fighting!" before leaving the stage.

Before the event started, President Yoon told KBS President Park Min, "We were not able to hold a proper welcoming ceremony at Incheon Airport when the team returned, so I am thankful that KBS created this National Festival." He also shared with his aides, "As president, if I were to win a gold medal, I would want it to be for stabilizing people’s livelihoods and strengthening national security."

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