On March 4, Minister YU In Chon Met and Congratulated the Men’s and Women’s Table Tennis Teams

Table Tennis Legends, including RYU Seung Min, HYUN Jung Hwa, and KIM Taek Soo, Gathered to Share Insights

On the morning of March 4 (Mon), Minister YU In Chon of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) met and congratulated the Korean national table tennis team for their outstanding performance at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals Busan 2024, securing qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals Busan 2024, held for the first time in Korea to commemorate the country’s 100th anniversary of table tennis, is the most prestigious event in the sport. This sporting event determined 16 qualification spots for the table tennis event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Korea achieved excellent results, with the men’s team (JANG Woo Jin, LIM Jong Hoon, LEE Sang Su, PARK Gyu Hyeon, and AN Jae Hyun) securing a bronze medal and the women’s team (SHIN Yu Bin, JEON Ji Hee, LEE Zi On, YOON Hyo Bin, and LEE Eun Hye) finishing in fifth place. Notably, the men’s team clinched their fourth consecutive bronze medal in the World Team Table Tennis Championships since the “2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The meeting was attended by key figures, including the co-chair of the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals Busan 2024 Organizing Committee RYU Seung Min, Executive director HYUN Jung Hwa, General secretary KIM Taek Soo, and national team coaches JOO Sae Hyuk and OH Kwang Heon. Minister YU also listened to the opinions of both current national team players and table tennis legends.

Minister YU expressed his appreciation, stating, “Seeing the legends who brilliantly illuminated Korean table tennis in the past alongside the current sports stars leading our country’s table tennis scene gives me a fresh perspective. I extend my gratitude to the main protagonists who led this tournament to success.” He continued, “I am delighted that the men’s team showed remarkable performance by defeating their opponents from table tennis powerhouse China in the semifinals to secure the bronze medal. The women’s team, including SHIN Yu Bin and JEON Ji Hee, who won the gold medal in doubles at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, also brought joy to the nation by giving their best until the end of the tournament. I pledge to support our athletes as they demonstrate their outstanding skills again at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, along with the nation’s support.”