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The Republic of Korea's Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry has announced plans to add 40,000 more jobs in the country's sports industry.

The Ministry has drawn up strategies to expand the sports market from 37 trillion won (US$32 billion) this year to 53 trillion won in 2017 and increase the percentage of people participating in daily sporting activities from 43% this year to 60% in 2017 as part of its 'Sports Vision 2018', a blueprint for the development of sport.

'Sports Vision 2018' was unveiled by South Korean Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Yoo Jin-ryong at a recent forum attended by athletes, trainers and sports organisations, held at the Sangam World Cup Stadium in Seoul.

The five-year plan also includes strategies to host more international sports events and promote the Korean sport of taekwondo overseas.

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

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 organisations such as the flow of funds, human rights abuses against athletes, game fixing and other unethical activities in the Korean sports sector.

A Ministry official stated "the vision will not be a one-time-only event, but continue to evolve by listening to opinions of the citizens."

In 2011, the nation's biggest match-fixing scandal revealed K-League football players engaged in the manipulation of game results.

With the 1988 Seoul Olympics still remembered as a defining moment of modern Korea's arrival to the international stage, Korea has focussed on attracting major international events in recent years.

These have included the 2002 FIFA World Cup (co-hosted with Japan) and the 2011 IAAF Athletics World Championships in Daegu and in the future the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju, the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyongchang and the 2019 FINA World Swimming Championships - also in Gwangju.

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