Chung Eui-sun, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, was elected as the 14th president of the Korea Archery Association. With support received for about 40 years since the time of former chairman Chung Mong-koo, South Korean archery, which has maintained its position as the world's best, will continue its partnership with Hyundai Motor Group for another four years.
The Korea Archery Association unanimously elected Chairman Chung Eui-sun as the 14th president after deliberation and decision by an election committee composed of seven sports experts on the 20th. Chairman Chung is expected to take office at the regular general meeting of the association's representatives in January next year, with a term lasting until January 2029.
The election committee highly praised Chairman Chung for presenting a mid- to long-term vision for South Korean archery and enhancing the competitiveness of South Korean archery through ▲ advanced administrative management of the association and contribution to financial independence ▲ support for national representatives and nurturing of talented individuals ▲ expanding the base of domestic archery ▲ strengthening global capabilities.
Since taking office as president of the Korea Archery Association in May 2005, Chairman Chung has worked to apply corporate management to archery, dedicating himself for a long period to achieving world-class performance. He is also evaluated for having led South Korean archery to be the world's best by operating the archery association as one of the most stable and transparent among domestic sports organizations.
Hyundai Motor Group actively promoted the development of new technologies and equipment to improve the performance of athletes by integrating its research and development capabilities into archery. With comprehensive support, South Korean archery solidified its position as the world’s best this year, achieving a 10th consecutive victory in the women’s team event at the Paris Olympics and excelling in all categories at international competitions.
Chairman Chung received praise for establishing a system that allows the archery association to operate fairly and transparently. In reality, there are many evaluations that there are almost no unreasonable practices or unfair player selections due to factions such as regionalism or academic ties within the archery association. National representatives are selected through a thorough competition based solely on current performance, excluding previous results or reputations. Coaching staff are also appointed in a fair and transparent manner through public recruitment.
He also contributed to expanding the base of archery. Hyundai Motor Group established the 'Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Cup Korea Archery Championships,' the most prestigious archery competition in the country in 2016. The total number of archery participants nationwide increased from 1,633 in 2005 to 2,800 as of last year. The number of archery participants in recreational sports also grew from 0 in 2016 to 778 people across 195 teams last year.
Chairman Chung has also made significant investments in promoting archery globally. He has served as president of the Asian Archery Federation since 2005, currently in his fifth consecutive term. He is recognized for supporting budgets and equipment for training athletes in economically disadvantaged countries, sending traveling coaches, and hosting coaching seminars, thereby raising the level of archery in Asia.