Daejeon selected to host 2029 Invictus Games, first Asian city

The South Korean central city of Daejeon was selected Monday to host the Invictus Games in 2029, becoming the first Asian country to stage the international sporting event for injured service members, the veterans ministry said.

The Invictus Games Foundation in Britain chose Daejeon, located about 140 kilometers south of Seoul, over Aalborg in Denmark and San Diego in the United States, to host the 2029 competition, according to the ministry.

The ministry said the board of trustees of the foundation had unanimously voted to host the 2029 games in Daejeon, citing its well-preparedness under a shared goal of recovery and rehabilitation of wounded service members.

"(The foundation) highly assessed South Korea's level of preparedness throughout the bidding process, from the on-site inspection of the venue in February and the submission of its application in May, to the bidding presentation in London in June," it said.

The foundation expected South Korea's hosting of the Invictus Games as the first Asian country, along with its cultural power, will help attract more Asian nations' participation in the competition down the road, according to the ministry.

Founded by Britain's Prince Harry in 2014, the Invictus Games is an international sports competition for wounded, injured and sick service members. The games have been so far held only in North America, Europe and Australia.

South Korea has made all-out efforts to secure the bid, with Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul traveling to London last month to deliver bidding presentations to showcase South Korea's capabilities and its willingness to host the games.

The 2029 games are expected to bring together some 3,000 people, including 550 athletes from 26 countries and around 1,100 family members, according to the ministry.