The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister CHAE Hwi-young, MCST) hosted a welcome banquet for members of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Executive Board on September 22 (Monday) at Samcheonggak (Seoul), to share Korea’s policy direction for parasports and reaffirm the international commitment to cooperate for the advancement of parasports. More than 20 members of the IPC Executive Board, including President Andrew Parsons and Vice President Duane Kale, attended the banquet while in Seoul for the 2025  IPC General Assembly.

Taking place from September 22 to 28 at the Grand Intercontinental Seoul, the IPC General Assembly brings together delegations of national paralympic committees and international sport federations from around the world to discuss the future vision of IPC and elect a new president. This year’s assembly holds particular significance as the largest international parasports event hosted in Korea since the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Paralympics.

The banquet featured a welcome speech by Minister CHAE and a response from IPC President Parsons, followed by a celebratory performance. The National Orchestra of Korea and Kim Jun-su of the National Changgeuk Company of Korea presented a beautiful collaborative performance that blended traditional and contemporary Korean music. Notably, the evening allowed IPC board members to step outside the formal conference setting to freely exchange their views, strengthen bonds of friendship and trust, and share in Korea’s traditional culture and spirit of hospitality with the international community through the cultural performance.

“Korea has long worked with the IPC, successfully hosting the 1988 Seoul Paralympic Games and the 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic Games, to contribute to raising the global stature of parasports,” said the culture minister. “This year’s General Assembly in Seoul will serve as a meaningful occasion to reaffirm the value of parasports and strengthen cooperation in the international community. The Korean government will continue to support and promote the balanced advancement of parasports across grassroots and professional sectors, while actively contributing to the development of global parasports through diverse international initiatives, including International Youth Camps and sports support programs.”