Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oh-eul sent congratulatory messages on the 20th to Seo Hoon-tae of the Gyeonggi Province Disabled Sports Council and Cho Jung-doo of BDH Paras, two shooters on South Korea's national team who won gold medals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games. Both are state-recognized persons of distinguished service to the nation.
"I pay deep tribute to the strong will of these two athletes, who suffered serious injuries and disabilities during military service but refused to give in and instead took on new challenges to stand atop Asia," Kwon said in the messages.
"I am all the more proud that these two athletes, who once served their country as soldiers, are now bringing honor to the Republic of Korea as members of the national team," he added. "Their shining challenge will serve as a message of hope to everyone opening new possibilities in the face of adversity."
Seo became disabled after an injury sustained during maritime training while serving with the Special Warfare Command in 2008. Cho was left with a disability from complications of cerebrospinal meningitis contracted during military service in 2007. Both are recognized as persons of distinguished service to the nation.
"Along with Seo and Cho, we hope all the athletes and coaches who competed in these games will pursue even greater dreams, and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will cheer them on together with 2.5 million members of veterans' families," Kwon said.