KSOC President welcomes Olympic community to Seoul

South Korea is ready to welcome the Olympic Movement when the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) convenes this week.

The 26th ANOC General Assembly is set for October 19-20 in Seoul, South Korea with the majority of the 204 NOCs set to meet in person. Over 190 of the 204 NOCs are scheduled to attend the hybrid General Assembly, with the others taking part virtually.

The President of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC), Lee Kee Heung, is ready to welcome the Olympic Movement to his country.

“It is a great honor to welcome the leaders of sports to Korea, especially as this event will mark the start of a new beginning after more than two years of hardship caused by the pandemic,” Lee said.

“Through these hardships we have learned the Olympic Community is always ready to help each other and stand in solidarity. The ANOC General Assembly is a wonderful display of this unity.”

This marks the third time Seoul is hosting the ANOC General Assembly, having done so previously in 1986 and 2006. South Korea has also hosted the Olympic Games twice, with Seoul serving as host of the 1988 Summer Games, and PyeongChang the 2018 Winter Games. Gangwon will play host in 2024 to the Winter Youth Olympic Games.

Lee is delighted his country is again hosting the General Assembly and sees it as an opportunity for strengthening Olympic ties and forging new friendships as travel restrictions ease across the globe.

“As the first major international event following the pandemic, the KSOC has spared no efforts to prepare for a successful General Assembly. This event will mark a new start of the international sports calendar,” Lee said.

Seoul was set to host the ANOC General Assembly in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to be cancelled. Last year Seoul was yet again ready to host, but strict COVID-19 measures forced the General Assembly to be relocated to Greece, with a limited number of NOCs attending. The third time appears to be lucky as nothing should interfere with a successful General Assembly.