Korea’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry said Thursday that it had set a goal of adding 40,000 more jobs in the country’s sports sector.

The ministry has drawn up strategies to expand the sports market from 37 trillion won ($32 billion) this year to 53 trillion won in 2017 and increase the percentage of people participating in daily sports activities from 43 percent this year to 60 percent in 2017 as part of its “Sports Vision 2018,” a blueprint for the development of sports. “Sports Vision 2018” was unveiled by the ministry at a forum attended by athletes, trainers and sports organizations, held at the Sangam World Cup Stadium in Seoul on Thursday.

The five-year plan “Korea Sports Vision 2018” also includes strategies to host more international sports events and promote taekwondo overseas.

The ministry said it would increase the number of workers at international sports organization from 96 in 2013 to 115 in 2017, a move aimed at gaining a competitive position in bidding for international sports events.

It will also send more taekwondo trainers overseas, from 19 this year to 80 in 2017, and plan for a joint parade and joint team with North Korean athletes at the Incheon 2014 Asian Paralympic Games and the Gwangju Universiade in 2015, respectively.

The ministry also vowed to tackle chronic problems of the sports sector such as human rights violations against athletes, corruption and game fixing.

It is expected to establish a fair-sports committee to oversee activities of sports organizations such as the flow of funds, human rights abuses against athletes, game fixing and other unethical activities in the Korean sports sector. 

“The vision will not be a one-time-only event, but continue to evolve by listening to opinions of the citizens,” said a ministry official.

In 2011, the nation’s biggest match-fixing scandal revealed pro soccer players engaged in the manipulation of game results.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)