Health Ministry, NHIS to Host 26th Youth Sports Festival for Children in Care at Honam University, Aug. 10-12

Soccer, badminton and jump rope alongside cultural programs; opening ceremony paired with NHIS 'Cheer Up YOU+ in Gwangju' concert

Song Jung-sook, Reporter Posted 2026/08/16 [10:10] Article No. 55069

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Jung Eun-kyeong) and the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) will hold the 26th Minister of Health and Welfare’s Cup Youth Sports Festival for Children in Care over three days from Aug. 10 to 12 at Honam University in Gwangsan-gu, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City. Some 1,000 participants — children living in residential child care facilities nationwide, their chaperones and young adults preparing for independent living — will take part in competitions in three events, soccer, badminton and jump rope, along with cultural experience programs. The opening ceremony on the first day will be held together with the ‘Cheer Up YOU+ in Gwangju’ concert, part of the NHIS social contribution initiative ‘Sky Bandage.’

[코리안투데이] Courtesy of the Ministry of Health and Welfare © 송정숙 기자

First held in 1999, the festival has taken place annually except during the COVID-19 pandemic and now marks its 26th edition. It has served both to give children in residential care the chance to play sports and take part in cultural activities, and to bring together young adults who have left care and are preparing to live on their own with the younger children who follow them. Gathering children still inside the care system and young people who have already crossed its threshold gives the event a significance beyond that of an ordinary sports competition.

Over the three days, participants will compete in preliminary, main and final rounds in soccer, badminton and jump rope, with teams representing their regions. Cultural experience programs will run alongside the match schedule, designed so that participants come away with summer memories regardless of the results.

The opening ceremony, set for 3 p.m. on Aug. 10 at the Honam University Culture and Sports Center, will take the form of the ‘Cheer Up YOU+ in Gwangju’ concert. Ahead of the ceremony, the area at the gymnasium entrance will feature hands-on booths — face painting, diffuser and keyring making, a photo zone and instant photo booths — along with a health experience pavilion. The stage will open with performances by the national jump rope demonstration team and the Obliz Ensemble, a group led by young adults who have aged out of care. After an opening performance featuring key guests and a prize drawing for the participating children, Saengdonggam Crew, Gunjo & Solbi, the group Lightsum and the group H1-KEY will take the stage. The performers signed on in support of the event’s aim of giving children in care and young adults preparing for independence a memorable summer.

About 300 members of the general public will attend the opening ceremony as invited guests, including long-time sponsors of the children, citizens active in child welfare and local residents, to cheer the participants on. This year’s festival carries added significance as it is being held in Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City in the city’s inaugural year. The event is co-hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the NHIS and co-organized by the Korea Association of Child Welfare and the Gwangju Association of Child Welfare, with sponsorship from Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City, IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, the CJ Donation Foundation and Olive Young, Honam University, IU and G Foundation.

In her congratulatory remarks, Health and Welfare Minister Jung Eun-kyeong said, “Because this festival takes place in the heat of summer, we will pay close attention so that the children can complete the three-day program in good health, without injuries or safety incidents.” She added, “We will further strengthen related policies, including living support and capacity-building for independent living, so that children in residential care and young adults preparing to leave care can grow up and prepare for independence in a stable environment.”

NHIS President Kang Cheong-hee said, “A child’s healthy growth is possible only when care, education, culture and social attention come together with medical services,” adding, “The NHIS will be a dependable ‘Sky Bandage’ and stand with these children’s dreams and futures.” He went on to say, “Health insurance must go beyond treatment to become a social safety net that protects people’s lives and dignity.” The three-day summer festival is expected to build the children’s stamina and confidence, while giving the child welfare field an occasion to revisit how independent living is supported.

송정숙 기자 (한국통합치유협회장) | gangseo@thekoreantoday.com

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