President Lee Jae-myung said on the 16th that his government will spare no effort in supporting South Korean sports, pledging to use athletics to revitalize regional communities and help the country's athletes compete on the world stage.
Lee made the remarks in a commemorative address at the opening ceremony of the 107th National Sports Festival, held at Jeju World Cup Stadium. He said the government will provide firm backing so that all citizens can enjoy sports in their daily lives, athletes can pursue their dreams in better conditions, and sports professionals can work with pride.
Lee opened by noting that this year's festival is being held on Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. "I sincerely congratulate the 107th National Sports Festival, held on beautiful Jeju where Mount Halla meets the blue sea," he said. He then looked back on the recently concluded 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, saying South Korean athletes "showed a fighting spirit that never gave up until the final moment." Their efforts to push past their limits and take on challenges alongside teammates, he added, gave everyone watching great inspiration and courage.
"That intense emotion now continues here on Jeju," Lee said, describing the National Sports Festival as the country's largest comprehensive sporting event, one that has accompanied the growth of South Korean sports for more than a century. He also called it "a stage of harmony and solidarity where athletes from across generations and regions gather to compete fairly, share friendship and bring the nation together through sports."
"The countless challenges that began at the National Sports Festival became the driving force behind the growth of Korean sports and a solid foundation for our athletes to advance to bigger stages," he said. "I hope that at this festival as well, everyone will compete fiercely and unite warmly, and feel together the appeal that sports hold."
Addressing the athletes, Lee said, "You are the stars of this stage today." He urged them to "respect and encourage one another beyond winning and losing, and fully display the skills you have worked so hard to prepare." He added that he hopes the 107th National Sports Festival "becomes a festival of inspiration and harmony that both athletes and the public will remember for a long time." This year's event marks the first time the festival has been held on Jeju since 2014, a gap of 12 years, and draws about 30,000 athletes and officials from teams representing cities and provinces.
Before the main address, Lee referred to a factory fire that broke out in Bucheon that day. "Regrettably, at this very moment there is a firefighter hospitalized in cardiac arrest after battling the blaze," he said. "For our national community to remain peaceful and safe, someone's sacrifice is unavoidable, yet it is also a painful reality that our recognition and compensation for those people fall short."
He then asked the audience to "join in applause of encouragement, so that the firefighter now fighting for life and the injured firefighters may recover quickly, and for our service members who were recently wounded while defending the country as well."