A fitness trainer on Feb. 22 demonstrates a personalized workout with guidance from a high-tech digital smart mirror on the opening day of the Seoul International Sports & Leisure Industry Show, aka SPOEX 2024, at DRAX Pavilion of COEX Mall in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District.
By Kim Seon Ah
Video = Lee Jun Young
"This is only possible in Korea, which has strong IT (information technology) infrastructure."
Choi Kyong Weon, managing director of the domestic exercise equipment maker Drax, said this while highlighting the advantages of such equipment that only Korea can continuously develop like a smart gym system that connects the internet of things (IoT) with gym equipment and facilities.
Korea.net on Feb. 22 interviewed Choi on the opening day of the Seoul International Sports & Leisure Industry Show, aka SPOEX 2024, at Drax Pavilion set up inside COEX Mall in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District.
"In an era when people can live 90-100 years, exercise is not an option but a necessity," he said. "Through convergence with IT, individuals can create and use their own workout guides by collecting and processing exercise data."
The Seoul International Sports & Leisure Industry Show, aka SPOEX 2024, opened on Feb. 22 at COEX Mall in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District with about 350 sports and leisure companies participating. Shown is a demonstration of rock climbing using augmented reality.
Daniel Rignaott, an official at the French Embassy in Seoul who arranged an exhibition hall ahead of this year's Paris Summer Olympics, said, "I consider it an honor that Paris is again hosting the Olympics for the first time in a century," adding, "We want to invite many Koreans to the Paris Olympics."
Park Kyung Rae, who heads the domestic archery bow and bicycle maker Wiawis, said the French women's archery team is doing off-season training in Korea, adding, "In the case of the French women's archery team, members exclusively use bows 100% made in Korea."
"Like our globally acclaimed bows, our bicycles made using nanocarbon technology are recognized by top athletes for their technological prowess," he said. "We hope that the world gets to know more about our bicycle technology."
To run through Feb. 25, SPOEX features about 350 domestic and foreign companies that lead the country's leisure and sports industry. With free admission through pre-registration online or a fee of KRW 10,000 at the door, the event allows visitors to see and try exercise equipment using IoT and augmented reality.
sofiakim218@korea.kr
