A Collection of Glory in Korean Sports... National Sports Museum Opens

The National Sports Museum, where visitors can view the history and glorious moments of South Korean sports at a glance, is opening its doors.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with the Seoul Olympic Sports Promotion Foundation, will hold an opening ceremony for the National Sports Museum at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on October 15.

Approximately 150 people will attend the opening ceremony, including Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hui-young, key figures from the sports and cultural sectors, and donors of sports heritage.

The National Sports Museum is South Korea's first national sports-focused museum, established to record the history of South Korean sports and systematically collect and preserve sports heritage scattered at home and abroad.

Built with two underground levels and four above-ground levels, the museum consists of a special exhibition hall on the 1st floor, permanent exhibition halls on the 2nd and 3rd floors, a rooftop garden on the 4th floor, and storage facilities on the 1st and 2nd underground levels.

The museum houses approximately 70,000 sports-related materials, with key exhibits including the gold medal won by Suh Yun-bok at the 1947 Boston Marathon, the soccer shoes of Kim Yong-sik, a pioneer of South Korean soccer, and the uniform of Yang Jung-mo, South Korea's first Olympic gold medalist.

Visitors can also see the torch used during the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the hoop that captivated people around the world during the opening ceremony.

To celebrate its opening, the museum will hold a stamp tour on October 17 where around 200 citizens will find key exhibits and complete missions.

Various hands-on programs for the general public, such as "My Record Card" and "Great Moments Studio," will also be operated.

Minister Choi Hui-young stated, "The history of South Korean sports is not only the records set by athletes, but also the memories of all citizens who cheered and rejoiced together in those moments," adding, "I hope the National Sports Museum will establish itself as a space that systematically preserves precious sports heritage and shares the challenges and emotions contained within with the public and future generations."

(Photo provided by Seoul Olympic Sports Promotion Foundation, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.