Korean sports organizations pledge to cut carbon emissions

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Published: 19 Sep. 2023, 10:46 Updated: 19 Sep. 2023, 10:47

Korean sports organizations pledge to cut carbon emissions

Former and current sports officials and athletes pose for a photo at a ceremony to mark the 35th anniversary of the 1988 Seoul Olympics at Seoul Olympic Parktel in southern Seoul on Monday. [YONHAP]

Seventy-two Korean sports organizations have pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 as part of the newly-formed Korea Sports ESG Alliance, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPO) announced Monday.

The 72 participating organizations, which include sports associations, universities, academic bodies and small sports companies, also promised to expand youth participation in sports activities and strengthen ethics and transparency in sports.

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The ESG Alliance — referring to environmental, social, and governance, a term used in business to assess how ethical the governance of a company is — was announced by KSPO CEO Cho Hyun-jae during an event to mark the 35th anniversary of the 1988 Seoul Olympics at Seoul Olympic Parktel in southern Seoul.

“It is very meaningful to form the Korea Sports ESG Alliance at the 35th anniversary of the Seoul Olympics Games 1988,” Cho was quoted as saying in a press release. “With this declaration, we will take the lead in creating a better world through sports.”

Monday’s event was attended by a number of former and current sports officials including Korea Sport & Olympic Committee Secretary General Yoon Sung-wook, former vice culture, sports and tourism minister and member of the 1988 Seoul Olympics bid team Oh Jee-chul, Seoul Olympics gold medalist and current Vice Chairman of the Korea Wrestling Federation Han Myung-woo and Seoul Paralympics silver medalist Kim Byung-woo.

KSPO was created in the wake of the 1988 Seoul Olympics to continue the legacy of the Games by maintaining and utilizing the Olympic facilities and promotion sports to the general public. Today the organization is heavily involved in funding a range of sports in Korea and maintains the facilities at southern Seoul’s Olympic Park.

The creation of the alliance comes as Seoul prepares to bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics. If it wins the bid, the 2036 Games will be the third held in Korea, after the 1988 Seoul and Olympics and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The country will also host the 2024 Gangwon Youth Olympics next year.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]