TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The National Olympic Committees (NOC) of Taiwan and South Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) earlier this week in Seoul that will see greater cooperation between the two countries in sports and related affairs.

The agreement will see Taiwan and South Korea share information and expertise in sports science and medicine, while also promoting more sports exchange programs from the national to local levels. The MOU also includes provisions for cooperative efforts to fight doping in sports and to bilaterally share information related to sports markets, according to a press release.

The MOU was signed on May 30 by Lin Hong-dow (林鴻道), chairman of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC), and Lee Ki-heung (李起興), chairman of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC). Inside the Games reports that while in South Korea, Lin also made visits to the Korean National Sports Promotion Organization and the Korean National Sports Science Center.



The KSOC press release said this is the third agreement that they have signed with the “Taiwan Olympic Committee” to boost cooperation and exchange in sports and related fields, with previous agreements signed in 1979 and 1991.

The two sides also discussed future areas of possible collaboration, which included establishing youth education programs, measures to improve national team performance, and the trend of virtual reality in sports.

Taiwan is bound by a 1981 ruling by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), made in deference to the Chinese government, which states that Taiwan may only join Olympic competitions and organizations under the name of “Chinese Taipei.” Hence, Taiwan's NOC is compelled to use the CTOC designation.