14th Asian Games

Opening Ceremony
North Korea
The 14th Busan Asian Games held its opening ceremony in the Asiad Main Stadium at 6:00pm, 29th Sep. for a 16-day run, marking the first time the North has attended the international sports event in the South. Including the host South Korea, and 43 Olympic Council of Asia member countries such as North Korea, China, Japan, Palestine and Afghanistan, and East Timor, the Asiad is the largest ever with 9,912 athletes and coaching staff competing for 420 medals in 38 events up to October 14th. South Korea has set itself the goal of runner up after China, looking to beat 83 medals, while China is aiming at number one for the sixth time in a row. With entries in 18 events, North Korea has set the goal of retaking fourth place for the first time in 12 years since the 1990 Beijing Asian Games.

(Emblem)

(Mascot)

Games Ideology - New Vision, New Asia
Games Slogan - One Asia
Global Busan Goal

- To faster friendship exchange and unity among the Asian countries.
- To elevate Busan as a leader of Asian prosperity in the 21 century.
- To cultivate a feeling of commonality among the people of Busan and to elevate the city's ability to accommodate international sporting events.

Period - September 29 ¢¦ October 14 (16 days)
Sports Events (38)

- Athletics/Swimming/Archery/Badminton/Baseball/Basketball/Billiards/Bodybuilding/ Bowling/Boxing/Canoeing/Cycling/Equestrian/Fencing/Football/Golf/Gymnastics/Handball Hockey/Judo/Kabaddi/Karatedo/Modern Pentathlon/Rowing Rugby/Sailing/Sepak Takraw/Shooting/Softball/Soft Tennis/Squash/TableTennis/Taekwondo/Tennis Volleyball/Weightlifting/Wrestling/Wushu

Contributed by Jang, So-jin
North Korea will participate in the Busan Asian Games 2002.
All 43 member countries will participate in the Games for the first time in its history. North Korea confirmed that it will participate in the Busan Asian Games 2002 and will allow the torch for the Asian Games to be lit at Mt. Baekdu, the highest mountain in the Korean Peninsula. As such, it will be the time in which all 43 member countries of the Olympic Council of Asia will participate in the Asian Games. It is hoped that this reconciliation of the two Koreas will act as a major step that will eventually lead to their eventual reunification.
Busan citizens welcome North Korea's participation in the Busan Asian 2002. Busan is in a festive mood with the news of North Korea's participation in the Busan Asian 2002. Its citizens are delighted that the Games to be held in their city will be a historic one in which the two Koreas participate, with civic organizations expressing their willingness to fully cooperate for the success of the Games including organizing the support corps for the North Korean team.
Contributed by Jeong, Hye-lim
Most recently modified on October 24, 2002