The Korean Association of Southeastern United States (President Kim Ki-hwan) will host the 43rd Southeastern Korean Sports Festival at Duluth High School in Duluth, Georgia, for two days from Friday, June 6th to Saturday, June 7th. Under the association's slogan of 'Foundation, Communication, Prosperity,' this sports festival is expected to be a meaningful event that promotes unity and exchange among Koreans in the Southeast region and builds a healthy community through sports.
The Games will feature a total of 13 events, including soccer, swimming, taekwondo, golf, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, bowling, tennis, track and field, Korean wrestling (ssireum), foot volleyball (jokgu), and especially Korean archery (hangung). In particular, athletes with disabilities will participate in swimming, taekwondo, and hangung events, highlighting the true meaning of sportsmanship and contributing to social integration.
The schedule will begin with a pre-event celebration on the evening of the 6th, followed by full-fledged competitions in various sports on the 7th. Individuals, groups, and clubs wishing to participate can easily apply through the Korean Association of Southeastern United States official website (sekoreanusa.org) or the KakaoTalk open chat room (https://open.kakao.com/o/gy0yf0jh). The registration deadline will be announced at a later date.
Kim Ki-hwan, the chairman of the organizing committee, stated at a press conference on the 13th, "We will make this event a festival where all Koreans in the Southeast can communicate, unite, and prosper together, going beyond a simple sports competition." He also emphasized, "We will do our best to ensure that this sports festival enhances the pride of Koreans in the Southeast region and contributes to establishing the identity of the next generation as Koreans."
The executive committee, including Chun Sun-ki (Organizing Committee Chairman), Ji Sang-hak (Competition Committee Chairman), Choi Si-young (Fundraising Committee Chairman), Ahn Chan-mo (Planning Committee Chairman), and Lee Young-joon (Finance Committee Chairman), who are working hard to prepare for the Games, also attended the press conference and pledged their full commitment to the successful hosting of the event. In particular, Planning Committee Chairman Ahn Chan-mo announced that the fundraising golf tournament held last month successfully raised $61,000 and asked for much interest and participation in the mentoring seminar for the next generation of Koreans to be held on the 26th.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Korean Association, which has played a key role in the Southeastern Sports Festival every year, has decided not to participate again this year due to internal reasons, following last year's absence. The Korean Athletic Association of Georgia has also announced its non-participation in this event, raising concerns about the scale of the Games being reduced. In response, Finance Committee Chairman Lee Young-joon stated, "We plan to actively accept individual teams from the Atlanta area if they apply to participate." President Kim Ki-hwan also emphasized, "As the Southeastern Sports Festival is one of the important events representing the Korean community in the United States, we will continue to make efforts to encourage as many Koreans as possible to participate in the spirit of unity," urging participation in the Games.
The 43rd Southeastern Korean Sports Festival is expected to be a meaningful event that strengthens the bond between Koreans in the Southeast region through sports and promotes a healthy lifestyle. In particular, the participation of athletes with disabilities will add to the meaning of social integration and is expected to create a harmonious gathering where all participants can enjoy themselves together. It is hoped that this sports festival will be successfully held with the interest and participation of many Koreans, serving as an opportunity to gather positive energy for the bright future of the Southeastern Korean community.
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