Korea Olympic Committee / Korea Sports Council

The Korea Sports Council (KSC) was established on July 13, 1920. It has become the vanguard of the nation's athletic development and has systematically trained national athletes who have enhanced the nation's prestige in the international sports arena.

The KSC administers the nation's amateur sports affairs, conducts camp training for national athletes, organizes national games and national youth games and supports its affiliated sport federations, and local and overseas branches.

The Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) was established in 1946. In 1947, it joined the IOC as a full member. The KOC, which spread the Olympic spirit and ideals at home while contributing to the global Olympic Movement abroad, has served as the nation's link with the IOC. The KOC has substantially contributed to raising Korea's standing in the sports world, as one of the top 10 nations in the last five Summer and two Winter Olympic Games. At present, the KOC includes three IOC members. They are Kim Un-yong, Lee Kun-hee, and Park Yong-sung.

Korea dispatched its first Olympic delegation to the St. Moritz Winter Games and the London Summer Olympics in 1948. Korea participated in the 15th Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952 even though it was embroiled in the Korean War (1950-1953). Korea hosted the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Olympic Games, both held in Seoul, and received praise for the successful management of these Games from sports officials and athletes throughout the world.

The KOC has hosted major international conferences, including the 14th OCA General Assembly in 1995; 29th GAISF General Assembly in 1995; 6th Sports-for-all Congress in 1996; IOC Executive Board Meeting in 1998; 109th IOC Session in 1999; 19th OCA General Assembly in 2000; and the meeting of the IOC Commission for Culture and Olympic Education in 2001.


Seoul Olympic Sports Promotion Foundation

In 1989, the Seoul Olympic Sports Promotion Foundation (SOSFO) was established with the profits from the 1988 Seoul Olympics and contributions from the National Sports Promotion Foundation. It has since supported projects related to national sport promotion, sport science research and development of youth sports. The foundation also manages the national sport promotion fund.

The SOSFO has supervised the Seoul Olympic commemoration projects since 1989 and has financed a variety of projects, such as installing grass and urethane on school grounds, building community sports centers, supporting national athletes and elite players, developing social sports programs and training program leaders.

The SOSFO has tried to establish a new cultural infrastructure by adding "the Korean spirit" to various sites of sports activities with special exhibitions and performances. It has also hosted major international events such as International Olympic Fair, Olympic Commemoration Exhibition, and International Sporting Goods Show.

To raise funds for its sports promotion activities, the SOSFO manages cycle racing, motor-boat racing and a lottery called Sports Toto, which have emerged as new leisure activities in Korea. In 2001, the national promotion fund amounted to 536 billion won. All profits from fund raising projects are returned to the society, to be used in a variety of public projects including community development, national sports promotion, youth welfare and supporting relevant industries.


National Council of Sports-for-All

The National Council of Sports-for-All (NACOSA) was established in 1991 to improve public health by promoting public sports movement and to create an advanced sports and leisure culture. The NACOSA seeks to invigorate society through the one-sport-for-everyone movement. It also sponsors the World Festival of Ethnic Koreans.

Specifically, NACOSA has supported morning exercise sessions, weekend sports projects, soccer classes for children, sports instructions for working places and amateur club activities called Holmium (Hanmaeum) League. Using its nationwide organizational networks, the NACOSA has sponsored more than 50 events, including the soccer tournament in celebration of hosting the World Cup, in cooperation with media organizations and privte companies. It has increased people's interest in sports through diversified ways of more than 20 programs, including "Exercise and Live Long," "Morning Exercise Session," "Happy Weekend League," and "Day for Family Exercise." It publishes a bimonthly magazine called Public Health and Fitness, runs public advertisements and conducts nationwide campaigning to enhance public health and fitness. NACOSA's activities benefit more than 12 million people per annum.


Korea Sport Science Institute

Since its foundation in 1980, the Korea Sport Science Institute (KSSI), a government-affiliated research institute, has played a central role in lending a scientific hand to the various areas relevant to sports. The activities of the KSSI may be categorized into six areas; research on sports sciences, support for national athletes and sports policy development, fostering sport leaders, maintaining and operating sports information network, research and support for sporting goods development and promoting international exchange.

The primary mission of the KSSI is research and development in the field of basic and applied sport sciences. The KSSI has more than 30 researchers with doctoral degrees in various fields including exercise physiology, biomechanics, sport psychology, sport sociology, nutrition, sociology, mechanical engineering, economics, urban engineering and business administration. It has operated various research laboratories and has performed scientific research on enhancing athletes' performance, promoting the sports-for-all movement, and sports policy development.

The KSSI has developed and operated various scientific systems for training national athletes and promising young athletes. It has played a leading role in developing various policies for the advancement of sports in Korea. Designing Five-year National Sports Promotion Plans is only one of them.

The KSSI has operated the Advanced Coaching Academy and the Training Institute for Sports-for-all Leaders. It has provided diverse academic and training programs for athletic coaches, sports-for-all leaders, physical education teachers, and government officials. The KSSI has administered official qualifying exams for athletic coaches and sports-for-all leaders.

The KSSI has established and maintained a sports-related information database which is most authentic and extensive. It has operated the integrated information networks for public services efficiently. The KSSI has published sports science journals including "Korean Journal of Sports Science" and "International Journal of Applied Sports Science" in English.

The KSSI has devoted its effort to develop sporting goods and facilities, and has supported sporting goods manufacturers, overseeing the quality of their products. It has provided technical support for businesses, and has promoted joint research projects with them. It operates an official system for testing and certifying sport goods.

The KSSI has been very active in promoting international exchanges. It has hosted international conferences including the "Asia Sports Science Conference," and dispatched its researchers to various international conferences. It has operated exchange programs with foreign countries and has played a significant role in the world anti-doping movement.