Daejeon's Infrastructure for Patriots Plays Key Role in Winning Bid to Host Invictus Games

Joint Press Conference on Hosting the 2029 Invictus Games in Daejeon

Minister Ohul Kwon, Mayor Taejung Heo, and President Eulsang Yoo Pledge Cooperation

From left, Ohul Kwon, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Taejung Heo, Mayor of Daejeon, Eulsang Yoo, Chairman of the Republic of Korea Veterans Association (Photo by Seokbong Mo)

Ohul Kwon, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs; Taejung Heo, Mayor of Daejeon; and Eulsang Yoo, President of the Republic of Korea Association of Veterans, held a joint press conference at the Daejeon City Hall briefing room on the afternoon of July 21 regarding the bid to host the 2029 Invictus Games.

The conference was held following the final decision the previous day to select Daejeon as the host city for the 2029 Invictus Games, which aim to promote the psychological, physical, and social rehabilitation and recovery of injured veterans through sports. The event was attended by many officials from the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Republic of Korea Association of Veterans.

Daejeon has become the first city in Asia to host the Invictus Games, achieving this after a fierce competition with San Diego, United States, and Aalborg, Denmark.

The 9th Invictus Games, scheduled to be held in Daejeon in October 2029, are expected to bring together over 550 injured veteran athletes from 26 countries, 1,100 family members, as well as national delegations and officials, totaling around 3,000 participants.

Minister Kwon explained the selection, saying, "Daejeon's high level of social respect and honor given to national patriots, the Daejeon Convention Center, Daejeon Veterans Hospital, and especially the plan to hold the cycling competition at Daejeon National Cemetery, all played a significant role in securing the bid."

Mayor Heo stated, "We will mobilize all administrative resources to ensure the success of the event," adding, "Through this event, we will not only promote Daejeon to the global community but also ensure it greatly contributes to the local economy."

President Yoo pledged, "The impact of these Games must extend to the lives of even more injured veterans and their families beyond the event itself," and added, "The Republic of Korea Association of Veterans will work together with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and Daejeon City to make this a successful event and continue to take responsibility for meaningful change afterward."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.