President Park Geun-hye has visited the National Training Center to encourage South Korean athletes who are preparing for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics.

At the training center in Taeneung, northeastern Seoul on Wednesday, the president was briefed on the country’s preparations for the Games by the chief of the center Choi Jong-sam.

Park asked coaches and officials to ensure that the athletes can compete at their best during the Olympics.

She also instructed government officials to devise thorough measures to ensure that the athletes are safe in Brazil, where there has been a surge in violent crimes and concerns remain high over the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

She watched training sessions of various athletes of Taekwondo, wrestling, gymnastics and handball.