An aerial view of the Gimcheon Sports Town complex. [Gimcheon City]
An aerial view of the Gimcheon Sports Town complex. [Gimcheon City]

Gimcheon, a city in North Gyeongsang Province, is accelerating its push to become South Korea's premier sports city, cultivating sports as a key engine of local economic growth.

According to the city, Gimcheon is building a self-reinforcing cycle that links sports and the local economy through world-class infrastructure, hosting more than 60 national and international competitions a year, operating professional sports teams, attracting training camps and developing sports tourism.

The city's strategy goes beyond simply hosting events — it aims to expand into adjacent industries such as sports business, tourism, medical rehabilitation and data analytics to emerge as a global sports hub.

At the heart of Gimcheon's sports competitiveness is its concentration of specialized facilities. The Gimcheon General Sports Town houses an indoor gymnasium, a badminton arena, an indoor swimming pool and tennis courts, providing a solid foundation for hosting national and international competitions efficiently.

The city is also preparing for future sports demand. A second sports town is being developed on a 34,000-square-meter site near the existing complex, with completion targeted for 2028, while a Bandabi Eoullim Center and a neighborhood-level national sports center are planned for completion by 2027.

Community sports infrastructure is being expanded as well, including a 36-hole park golf course under construction in Bongcheon-ri, Nam-myeon, to meet growing demand for the sport.

Gimcheon hosts more than 60 national and international competitions each year across a range of sports, including swimming, tennis, badminton, volleyball and soccer.

During competition periods, athletes, coaches, parents, families and supporters stay in the city, injecting vitality into local businesses — hotels, restaurants, cafes and traditional markets alike.

Sports events are particularly valued as a "stay-based industry," generating greater local spending than conventional tourism because visitors tend to remain in the city for extended periods.

Last year, 59 national and international competitions drew about 250,000 visitors to Gimcheon, generating an estimated 37.8 billion won ($27.1 million) in economic impact.

The city is also stepping up its pursuit of international events. It already hosts the ITF International Junior Tennis Championships and an international men's tennis tour, and is working to attract additional international competitions, including the International MIC Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Gimcheon is home to two professional sports teams: Gimcheon Sangmu FC and the Korea Expressway Corporation Hi-pass volleyball team.

Gimcheon Sangmu finished third in K League 1 in the 2025 season, while the Korea Expressway Corporation Hi-pass team topped the regular-season standings in the 2025-26 season before finishing as runner-up in the championship series.

The volleyball team drew about 49,000 spectators during the regular season — a roughly 35 percent increase from the previous season — ranking first in overall regular-season attendance league-wide.

The city provides administrative and fiscal support to its professional teams while also running youth squads and elementary school volleyball programs to strengthen ties between professional sports and community recreation.

Gimcheon is also actively courting training camp teams, leveraging its KTX rail access, highway connectivity and concentrated sports facilities. About 10,000 athletes in total visit the city each year for training.

The city is working to activate sports tourism by linking its natural and cultural attractions — including Jikjisa temple, Samyeongdaesa Park, Hwangaksan and Buhang Dam — with sports events and local festivals.

Looking ahead, the city plans to expand its sports industry footprint into smart stadiums, AI-based game analysis, sports data services and medical rehabilitation.

"Sports is more than physical activity — it is a core growth engine that revitalizes the local economy and raises the city's brand value," Gimcheon Mayor Bae Nak-ho said. "We will focus all of our administrative capabilities on realizing Gimcheon as a global sports hub that the world will seek out, drawing on our top-tier infrastructure and operational expertise."


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com