Park was appointed at a special ceremony in Gwangju's City Hall and will serve in his new role for 20-months until August 31, 2015.

"I feel great responsibility to take over the role of director for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Gwangju Universiade, an international sports festival attended by more than 20,000 participants from 170 nations," he said.

"I will try my best to make a performance fit for an international event, while also making Gwangju known globally."

Upon Park's appointment, Gwangju Mayor Kang Un-tae was keen to emphasis four main points that the director should incorporate into the two Ceremonies.

New executive director of the Gwangju Ceremonies Park Myeong-seong alongside Mayor Kang Un-tae and Gwangju 2015 officials at the City Hall ©Gwangju 2015


Firstly, the Ceremonies should evolve into a festival for all those in attendance at the Main Stadium, and around the nation, to enjoy - as seen in the street festivals during the 2002 FIFA World Cup that took place in South Korea and Japan.

He also wants them to highlight Gwangju's spirit as a city of human rights and to spread the message of these rights, as well as democracy and peace, to all corners of the world.

Certain emphasis should also be put on Gwangju's ongoing work with the United Nations and other international organisations to form a united Korean team for the Universiade, with links to the successful Youth Leadership Programme, which ran in August of last year and saw 33 youths from 19 different nations cultivating leadership skills by participating in various sports activities.

Finally, with Gwangju known as the city of lights, the Ceremonies should become a festival of lights, showcasing the city's state-of-the-art lighting technology with displays of the latest lasers and LED.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
October 2013: FISU concludes inspection of Gwangju 2015 Universiade
October 2013: FISU inspection underway in Gwangju prior to 2015 Summer Universiade
August 2013: Successful Youth Leadership Project closes in Gwangju
August 2013: Gwangju 2015 and UN host successful youth mentor programme
July 2013: Historic unified Korean team in sight for Gwangju 2015 as countdown officially begins