South Korea launched its new national anti-doping organization, the Korean Anti-Doping Agency (KADA), at an inaugural meeting held on 2 November.

The government funded organization will take full responsibility for promoting and coordinating all anti-doping activities. This includes carrying out testing and results management for competitions as well as developing anti-doping education and prevention programs. The agency, which will be operational soon, will establish and implement its own anti-doping code to be fully compatible with World Anti-Doping Code.

The launch of KADA will help the 2014 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee to fulfill all of its responsibilities for anti-doping activities more effectively.

Kim Jin-sun, the executive president of PyeongChang 2014 said:

“Anti-doping testing is a vital aspect of major sports events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The launch of the Korean Anti-Doping Agency will help ensure that South Korea plays a leading role in the battle against doping. PyeongChang 2014 seeks to create the fairest possible conditions for competition and to protect the health and rights of the athletes.”

Previously the Korean Doping Control Center (KDDC) and Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), which are linked to universities in Korea, were authorized by the World Anti-Doping Agency to handle anti-doping testing at major events, including the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 2002 Asian Games in Busan and the 2006 International Paralympic Committee Alpine Skiing World Cup.