South Korea's WorldSkills team heads to Shanghai in bid for record 20th overall title

South Korea's national skilled-trades team is heading to Shanghai with a clear goal: a record 20th overall championship title at the WorldSkills Competition. Having finished second at the last edition, Korea will send 56 competitors across 50 trades to take on China, which enters with the considerable advantage of competing on home soil.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor held a send-off ceremony Tuesday at the Global Skilled Trades Promotion Center of the Human Resources Development Service of Korea in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, marking the team's official departure for the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai.

The competition runs from Sept. 22 to 27 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, drawing 1,399 competitors from 73 countries. A total of 64 trades will be contested, ranging from traditional crafts such as carpentry to advanced industrial fields including cybersecurity.

Korea will field 56 athletes across 50 of those trades, accompanied by 50 international technical delegates and 50 interpreters.

Korea is one of the most decorated nations in WorldSkills history. Since its debut in 1967, the country has claimed the overall championship 19 times. The Shanghai competition marks its bid for a 20th.

The team has maintained strong results in recent editions. At the 2019 competition in Kazan, Russia, Korea won seven gold medals, seven silver and two bronze. At the 2022 Special Edition — held in a distributed format due to COVID-19 — it took 12 gold, nine silver and 10 bronze.

At the 2024 competition in Lyon, France, Korea won 12 gold, 14 silver and nine bronze medals to finish second overall. China, as the host nation this year, is widely regarded as the strongest title contender, setting the stage for a fierce rivalry between the two countries.

Korea's lineup spans both traditional trades and cutting-edge industries. Competitors will represent the country in industrial machinery, CNC turning and milling, welding, plumbing, furniture making, carpentry and automobile technology, as well as mobile app development, software testing, mobile robotics, Industry 4.0, cloud computing, cybersecurity, additive manufacturing, renewable energy and robot systems integration.

A notable debut this year is the dental technology trade, newly added to the competition, in which Lee Jun-gyu, 25, will become South Korea's first-ever national team representative in the discipline. "Every time I completed a prosthetic, I asked myself whether the quality was good enough to win a gold medal if this were the Olympics," Lee said. "I want to achieve a strong result, open the door for those who come after me, and lay the foundation for dental technology in South Korea."

Shin Ji-hyeon, 20, will compete in the baking trade. She previously competed in the pastry trade during high school, finishing third at a national competition, before switching to baking and earning a spot on the national team. "I will not forget the responsibility and pride of representing South Korea, and I will deliver a steady, world-class performance to bring home a strong result," she said.

Medalists will receive government decorations and prize money. Gold medalists will receive the Bronze Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit and 67.2 million won ($47,500), silver medalists the Iron Tower Order and 56 million won, and bronze medalists the Silver Tower Order and 39.2 million won. Those finishing fourth or below but earning an excellence award will receive an industrial commendation and 10 million won.

Medalists are also eligible for additional benefits, including exemption from the practical examination for the relevant national technical qualification at the industrial technician level, enrollment as industrial technical personnel, and scholarship support for university admission. Those who continue working in their field after placing will also receive a career-continuation incentive, the amount of which varies by placement and years of service.

The send-off ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister of Employment and Labor Kwon Chang-jun, Korea WorldSkills Committee President Lee Byeong-hun, and representatives from the athletes' affiliated organizations — including Samsung Electronics, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, HD Hyundai Heavy and Emons Furniture — as well as officials from skilled-trades associations.

"Show the world the full strength of South Korea's skilled workers, so that every drop of sweat you have shed will not be in vain," Deputy Minister Kwon said. "The government will spare no effort in supporting young technical talent so they can freely pursue their dreams and grow as the driving force of a technology powerhouse."