Kim Dae-hyeon, the ministry’s second vice minister, will visit the Jongno Culture and Sports Center in Seoul’s Jongno district on the afternoon of the 23rd to kick off a participation relay campaign and review on-the-ground issues in the sports sector. The campaign was organized to coincide with Sports Week, set for April 27 to May 3 under the Basic Sports Act. The ministry said the effort aims to create conditions in which anyone can enjoy sports without gaps by region, gender or age, in line with government policy tasks.
As the first participant, Kim will film himself playing table tennis with local residents and post the video on the ministry’s social media to promote everyday sports participation. He named Ha Hyeong-ju, chairman of the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation; Yoo Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee; and Jeong Jin-wan, president of the Korea Paralympic Committee, as the next participants, the ministry said.
Alongside the campaign, the ministry said it will expand benefits people can feel in daily life. The Jongno center Kim will visit is a certified facility for the Sports Activity Incentive program, known as Ttunteun Money, which awards points for 30 minutes of exercise.
A center official said members refer to the program’s end when its budget runs out as “sold out.” The official said some members missed out on points last year after the budget was exhausted, and expectations are high this year because more members are expected to receive benefits.
In a supplementary budget, the ministry increased funding for Ttunteun Money by 4 billion won and expanded support for vouchers for sports classes for people with disabilities by 6.2 billion won. It also boosted funding for building youth sports foundations by 9.5 billion won, creating training facilities for winter sports such as air mats by 3 billion won, and rewards for reporting ticket scalping by 500 million won, it said.
“Regular sports activity not only improves individual health but is also an important factor in preventing chronic disease and reducing social medical costs,” Kim said. He said the supplementary budget will expand support such as Ttunteun Money and sports class vouchers so more people can exercise at nearby facilities without 부담 and directly benefit from the programs.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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