S. Korea wins for 5th consecutive time at Int'l Abilympics

SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea won for the fifth consecutive time at this year's international contest for the disabled in Seoul, its organizing committee said Friday.
Powered by veteran vocational workers, South Korea led all countries with 17 gold, 17 silver and seven bronze medals at the International Abilympics (IA), hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Seoul metropolitan government.
The five-day competition, which brought together 47 participants from 57 countries across the globe, comes to a close with a ceremony under the theme "We are the champions; one world, one people" later in the day.
In a statement released before the closing ceremony, Labor Minister Lee Cha-pel said, "I sincerely congratulate all the participants for showing off their excellent vocational skills. I hope this gathering will be a chance to boost courage and the dreams of people with disabilities."
Taiwan took second place with three gold, three silver and three bronze medals while China came in third.
South Korean participants who won in vocational skills contests take home a maximum of 50 million won (US$42,553), and those who took medals in basic courses and leisure and living contests are endowed with 4 million won, the organizing committee said.
Meanwhile, international symposiums and forums, under the slogan of "disability, work and social integration," that discussed improving employment systems, took place on the sidelines of the gathering. Also, several cultural programs, including performances of Korean classical music and traditional dance, were carried out throughout the week and drew a total of 3,500 visitors.
The next IA will be held in Helsinki, Finland in 2015.
khj@yna.co.kr
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