Labor ministry rallies Korean team for Shanghai skills contest

The labor ministry said Tuesday that South Korea's 56-member national team pledged at an Incheon send-off ceremony to compete at the International Skills Olympics in Shanghai in September.

Vice Minister Kwon Chang-jun met athletes, international technical delegates and competition officials at the 3:30 p.m. ceremony at the Human Resources Development Service of Korea's Global Institute for Skilled Technology Promotion in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon. Representatives of athletes' employers, sponsors and skilled-worker associations also attended.

The 48th International Skills Olympics runs from Sept. 22 through 27 in Shanghai, bringing together 1,399 competitors from 73 countries across 64 disciplines, from woodworking to cybersecurity.

Korea will compete in 50 disciplines, aiming for a 20th overall title after finishing runner-up at the previous competition. It won 12 gold, 14 silver and nine bronze medals at the 2024 event in Lyon. The ministry said China, competing on home ground, is expected to be a strong contender, while Korea's team has prepared with top-level technical skills and systematic customized training.

Among the delegation, 25-year-old Lee Jun-gyu will become Korea's first national representative in dental prosthetics, a discipline added for this competition. "Whenever I completed a prosthesis, I asked myself whether its quality would be worthy of a gold medal if this were the Olympics, and worked to improve it," Lee said. "I want to achieve a good result, open the way for younger competitors and lay the foundation for Korea's dental prosthetics field," he said.

Shin Ji-hyun, 20, secured her place on the team in baking after competing in confectionery during high school. A third-place finish at a national contest had nearly put her ambition to represent Korea out of reach, but she tried again in baking. "Because it was not an easy journey, being here feels all the more precious," Shin said. "I will not forget the responsibility and pride of representing Korea and will show unwavering skill on the world stage to achieve a good result."

"Show the world the full capabilities of Korea's skilled workers so that the sweat you have shed does not go to waste," Kwon said. He added that the government would offer full support for young technical talent to pursue their dreams and develop.