Seoul: Bae Dong-hyun, the head of the Korea Para Nordic Skiing Federation, has announced his candidacy for the presidency of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the leading body in para sports globally. The Korea Paralympic Committee (KPC) revealed Bae's nomination as South Korea's candidate for the forthcoming IPC presidential election.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Bae's nomination was unanimously supported during the KPC International Relations Committee's inaugural meeting in May. Subsequently, Bae submitted his candidacy file to the IPC on Monday morning. The pivotal election is scheduled to take place in Seoul during the IPC General Assembly on September 26-27, where Bae aims to become the first South Korean to hold the IPC presidency since the organization's inception in 1989.
Bae's credentials include his role as the president of Changsung Group, and chairman of both the BDH Paras Foundation and the Changsung Scholarship Foundation. The BDH Paras Foundation operates a semi-professional para sports club, "BDH Paras," which features athletes in Nordic skiing and shooting para sport.
During a press conference announcing his candidacy, Bae shared, "My life changed ever since I first discovered para sports in 2012. After much deliberation, I have decided to run for IPC president. I'd like to contribute to the development of international para sports."
Bae also served as South Korea's chef de mission at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics and the 2024 Paris Summer Paralympics. Reflecting on his experiences, he remarked, "I was deeply moved by para sports in PyeongChang and Paris. I've been thinking about what I can do for para sports. I've received support from athletes and officials from all over the world."
The IPC will finalize the list of candidates following an internal review process, after which candidates will be allowed to campaign. The election's outcome will be determined by a majority vote from the IPC's 203 member organizations, comprising 183 national Paralympic committees, 17 international para sport federations, and three international organizations for disabled athletes.