Academic conference to commemorate 1988 Seoul Olympics opens this week

This year's conference, under the theme "Rethinking What Sport Does: Science, Society and Future," will examine how sport influences the human body and mind and its role in shaping social relationships, industrial structures, governance and technological changes. According to KAHPERD, the event will also focus on linking the legacy of the 1988 Games with the social tasks of today and will serve as a platform for discussing new values that sport must create in a rapidly changing environment.

On the first day, keynote speeches will be delivered by four international scholars: Clifford Mallett from the University of Queensland; Tania Braga, former head of Olympic Games Impact at the International Olympic Committee; Gerald Fritz from the University of Europe for Applied Sciences in Germany; and Bryan McCullick from the University of Georgia.

The second day will feature around 250 presentations on diverse topics, including sports psychology, sports sociology and physiology. Academics and experts from the United States, Canada, Japan and China are also set to give speeches.

KAHPERD President Choi Kwan-yong said in a statement, "This year's conference will pose questions on what sport really does to people and society. I hope that researchers will move out of their comfort zone and participate in sessions outside their areas of expertise so that they will see fresh perspectives and new questions."

The event is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation.