The Invictus Games Foundation has chosen Daejeon in South Korea as its preferred location for the 2029 edition of the international sporting competition for wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans.
The announcement represents a historic milestone for the global Invictus Movement, with the Republic of Korea set to become the first Asian country ever selected to stage the Games.
Daejeon emerged victorious from a highly competitive international tender process, beating rival bids from Aalborg in Denmark and San Diego in the United States.
The Foundation’s Board praised the Korean city’s compelling vision and its partners’ dedication to establishing a meaningful legacy extending well beyond the event itself.
The Invictus Games Foundation has chosen Daejeon in South Korea as its preferred location for the 2029 edition of the international sporting competition for wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans.
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The Games are scheduled to run from October 6 to 15 2029, spanning ten days and nine nights at venues in and around the Daejeon Convention Centre in the Yuseong-gu district.
Approximately 550 competitors representing 26 nations will participate across 12 sporting disciplines, with around 1,100 family members and friends travelling to support them.
The total number of participants is expected to reach roughly 3,000, including government delegations, officials and other personnel.
The selection remains subject to successful completion of an Event Hosting Agreement between the Foundation and the Daejeon 2029 organising team.
The Duke of Sussex founded the Invictus Games in 2014.
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Once this formal contract is finalised, detailed planning will commence covering venue operations, competitor services, sport delivery, volunteering programmes and ceremonies.
Mr Na Hyeongyoon, a former Invictus Games competitor who featured in the Netflix documentary series Heart of Invictus, said: “I have always believed that the greatest barrier is not disability itself, but the way society perceives it.
“Through the Invictus Games, I have seen that those perceptions can change.
“Now, in 2029, it will be Korea’s turn to lead that change.
“I hope the Invictus Games in Daejeon will showcase the strength, potential, and pride of our wounded service personnel and veterans and become a turning point in transforming how our society sees them.”
Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oh-eul described the selection as a historic and deeply meaningful achievement.
He pledged that the government would collaborate closely with Daejeon Metropolitan City and the Korea Disabled Veterans Organization to deliver what he called the finest Invictus Games to date.