Korea Anti-Doping Agency marks 20th anniversary; 25 Asian countries to discuss cooperation in Seoul

[Financial News] Officials from anti-doping organizations in 25 Asian countries will gather in Seoul to mark the 20th anniversary of the Korea Anti-Doping Agency (KADA). A seminar on cooperation to prevent doping at international competitions and a special exhibition on the history of doping are planned.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on the 10th that it would hold an anniversary ceremony that afternoon at Olympic Parktel in Songpa District, Seoul, together with the agency. The agency will look back on its achievements and announce its vision: “A global anti-doping leader opening the way to a fair future for sport.”
About 200 people will attend the ceremony, including Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Dae-hyun, Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPO) Chairman Ha Hyung-joo, and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Director General Olivier Niggli. Koji Murofushi, a WADA Executive Committee member and former commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency, as well as the heads of the anti-doping organizations of Japan and Saudi Arabia, will also attend.
Won Yun-jong, a member of the athletes’ commissions of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and WADA, will receive a commendation from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism for his contributions to anti-doping policy development, education and outreach. Won, a bobsleigh silver medalist at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, was elected to the IOC Athletes’ Commission at the Milan-Cortina Games this February. His term is eight years, through the 2034 Winter Olympics in Utah.
The agency will present commendations from the chair of the Korea Anti-Doping Agency to seven people, including Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) research specialist Kim Ho-jun; doping control officers Lee Young-gil and Kang Seon-young; and anti-doping education instructors Kim Seok-hyun and Yeon A-reum.
About 60 people, including WADA representatives and officials from anti-doping organizations in 25 Asian countries, will take part in the “International Anti-Doping Seminar” on the 10th and 11th. They will share examples of cooperation related to international competitions, including the Asian Games and the ChungCheong 2027 FISU World University Games, as well as practical experience in doping tests. They will also discuss ways to strengthen each country’s anti-doping capabilities and build a regional cooperation framework.
Founded in November 2006, the agency has handled doping tests, results management, education and outreach. Last December, it supported the hosting of WADA’s general assembly in Busan.
The revised World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards approved at the time include measures to strengthen protections for minor athletes and will take effect on January 1 next year. The assembly also adopted the “Busan Declaration,” calling for stronger anti-doping education and investigations and expanded international cooperation.
The special exhibition “Clean Sports: The Darkness of Doping and the Light of Fairness” will open on the afternoon of the 11th in the exhibition hall on the first floor of the main building of the National Library of Korea in Seocho District, Seoul. Co-hosted by the agency and the library, it will run through December 10. The exhibition traces the history of doping and key cases, and introduces the agency’s anti-doping work and achievements.
Deputy Minister Kim Dae-hyun said the agency had upheld “the belief that the inspiration of sport begins with fair and square competition,” and pledged to “spare no effort in providing support” so that Korea can lead international anti-doping cooperation.

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