South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young and Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Chae Hwi-young have expressed condolences over the death of Chang Ung, North Korea's longtime former International Olympic Committee (IOC) member. Chang died at age 87 on Sunday. Both ministers highlighted his contributions to peace on the Korean Peninsula through sports.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young expressed condolences on his Facebook page on April 1 over the death of Chang Ung. He recalled a meaningful conversation with Chang in April 2007 on inter-Korean exchanges in taekwondo during Chang's visit to Seoul as president of the International Taekwondo Federation.
"I've appreciated his role in broadening the scope of inter-Korean exchanges on the international sports stage and his contribution to promoting dialogue and communication between the two Koreas through sports," Chung said.
Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Chae Hwi-young sent a message of condolence to North Korea's Olympic Committee via the IOC. Chae expressed "deep condolences" for the honorary IOC member who "dedicated his life to advancing the Olympic Movement and promoting the development of sports." She noted that "his efforts to foster friendship and mutual understanding through sports, particularly his work to spread the value of peace on the Korean Peninsula, will be long remembered."
Chang served as an IOC member from 1996 to 2018 and later as an honorary member. He helped form a unified Korean team at the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships in Chiba, Japan, and contributed to joint marches by South and North Korean athletes at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.
