Korea has secured the hosting rights to the Invictus Games, an international sports competition for wounded veterans, becoming the first Asian nation to do so.
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said the UK-based Invictus Games Foundation selected Daejeon as the host city for the 9th Invictus Games in 2029 through a unanimous board decision on the 20th. The competition is scheduled to take place in October 2029.
The 2029 games are expected to draw around 1,600 people, including about 550 wounded veteran athletes and roughly 1,100 family members from 26 countries. The Invictus Games is an international sports event founded in 2014 by Britain's Prince Harry to support the physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration of injured service members and wounded veterans.
The foundation explained that it highly valued the systematic preparation for the games, noting that the central government, local government, and wounded veterans' organizations had built a close cooperative framework. "Based on the Republic of Korea's cultural influence and the symbolism of being the first host nation in Asia, we expect it to lead a new leap forward for the Invictus Games and expand participation across the Asian region," the foundation said.
The ministry launched its bid for the 2029 games following the 2023 competition in Düsseldorf, Germany. Last December, Daejeon was named a finalist city along with San Diego in the United States and Aalborg in Denmark. It was then confirmed as the host after an on-site inspection in February this year, submission of the bid application in May, and a final presentation held in London last month.
Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oh-eul attended the final presentation in person to explain Korea's commitment and capability to host the event. The government is known to have intensively highlighted the symbolism of being the "first host in Asia" and Daejeon's hosting conditions throughout the bidding process.
The Invictus Games began in London in 2014 and has since been held in the United States, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and Australia. The 2029 Daejeon games will be the first held in Asia. The next competition, in 2027, will take place in Birmingham, UK.
