National Sport Governance

In 1981, Korea had no ministerial-level entity dealing with sports. Following the decision to host the Olympic Games, the Korean government created the Ministry of Sport to coordinate the Olympic Games’ organisation together with the sport development and promotion in the country. The ministry was entrusted with comprehensive sports administrative duties, previously handled from the point of view of education. It encouraged the development of elite athletes and the professionalization of certain sports. Before 1981 only boxing and golf were considered professional sports in Korea; the situation changed with the support from the Ministry and by 1993 baseball, football and Korean wrestling, among others, were added to the new sports list. This trend, as well as the improvement of the elite sport system in Korea, continued in the subsequent years.

At the end of the 80's and following the Olympic Games Seoul 1988’s success, public interest in sport grew rapidly in the country, pushing the government to adopt new measures to ensure access to sport for everyone. In this context, in 1991, the ‘Korean Council of Sport for All’ was established with the aim of encouraging Koreans to practice physical activities on a daily basis. Among other initiatives, the Council provided sports facilities and equipment to be installed in schools and public places. Since October 2016, the Korean Council of Sport for All has merged with the Korean Olympic Committee, which is now the national ‘umbrella’ organisation in charge of elite sport and sport for all.