Cooperation in Sports between France and South Korea - French Minister of Sports Launches Club Sport in Seoul

Minister Kanner (right) with French Ambassador Penone

With members of the French Delegation

On Feb. 19, 2016, the French Embassy in South Korea hosted a reception for the launching of a club dedicated to sports, on the occasion of the visit of Mr. Patrick KANNER, French Minister of Urban affairs, Youth and Sports, to South Korea. ​

Catherine Germier-Hamel, Founder & CEO of Millennium Destinations attended the launching event as a member of the French business community in Seoul involved in tourism development and promotion, including sport and mountain tourism. She had the opportunity to introduce Millennium Hikers, an initiative aimed at developing international cross-cultural hikes as sustainable tourism products. The Millennium Hikes Pilot Project in France and South Korea will be presented on March 3rd 2016 at the 9th World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism in Andorra, co-organized by the World Tourism Organization and the Government of Andorra. 

Minister Kanner's one-day visit was aimed at fostering bilateral cooperation between France and South Korea in the field of sports, particularly within the framework of the 2018 Winter Olympics hosted in PyeongChang. Accompanied with a delegation of French companies and organizations (Compagnie des Alpes, Cluster Montagne, GL Events, etc.), Mr. Kanner had meetings with the President of PyeongChang Organizing Committee Cho Yang-ho, local authorities of Gangwon province and the Mayor of Pyeongchang Shim Jae-gook. 
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In the evening, President Kanner attended the reception hosted by the French embassy for the launching of the "Club Sport", in presence of French representatives of the sport community in Korea (companies, training centers, etc.), as well as Korean sport-related personalities, businessmen and sportsmen. 

The main goals of the Club Sport are:

• To identify business opportunities for French companies involved in sport, while pooling the market intelligence and prospection efforts of the embassy services, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and companies; 
• To promote the French know-how and offering on the South Korean market ; 
• To build a network connecting Korean decision-makers and French companies through events (networking, conferences...)
• During big events: to be integrated into the overall branding strategy of France.

This visits falls within the framework of the 2015-2016 France-Korea Year celebrating the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relationships between both countries.

In Nov. 3-4, 2015, President of the French Republic François Hollande had paid a State visit to President of the Republic of South Korea Park Geun-hye, during which they both adopted an Action Plan for bilateral partnership, focused on the following major issues:  dialogue on international and global issues; diversification of economic relations; cooperation on defense and security; strengthening university partnerships, student mobility and cooperation in the field of professional training; exchanges between cities and regions. 

With famous alpinist Um Hong Gil www.uhf.or.kr

With Millet CEO in South Korea Steve Han