Bae Dong-hyun, head of the Korea Para Nordic Skiing Federation and chairman of the BDH Paras Foundation, announces his intention to run for International Paralympic Committee president during a press conference in Seoul on June 16. (Yonhap)
Bae Dong-hyun, head of the Korea Para Nordic Skiing Federation and chairman of the BDH Paras Foundation, announces his intention to run for International Paralympic Committee president during a press conference in Seoul on June 16. (Yonhap)

Bae Dong-hyun, president of the Korea Para Nordic Skiing Federation, lost in the election for president of the International Paralympic Committee on Saturday.

In a vote held during the IPC General Assembly in Seoul, Bae lost to the incumbent leader from Brazil, Andrew Parsons, by 109 votes to 68 votes. There were no abstentions.

Parsons, who has been at the helm since 2017, earned his third four-year term.

Bae was trying to become the first Asian leader of the world's top para sports organization. He vowed to achieve "concrete improvement" for the IPC if elected, setting his sights on sustainable financial growth and balanced governance, among others.

Bae is president of Changsung Group and chairman of both the BDH Paras Foundation and the Changsung Scholarship Foundation. He served as South Korea's chef de mission at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics and the 2024 Paris Summer Paralympics. (Yonhap)