Daejeon World Cup Stadium [Newsis]
Daejeon World Cup Stadium [Newsis]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday it has drawn up a budget proposal for its 2027 public sports facility renovation support project totaling 255.8 billion won ($187.9 million) — a 168.4 percent increase, or 160.5 billion won more, from this year's 95.3 billion won.

The budget expansion comes as roughly 70 percent of the country's 10,753 public sports facilities — excluding simple outdoor installations — are more than 10 years old, and demand for renovation work has surged from 381 cases in 2023 to 484 in 2025, the ministry said.

The ministry has set three core priorities for the renovation program: strengthening safety, responding to climate change, and improving user convenience and facility utilization. The national subsidy rate for sports facilities requiring urgent renovation will be raised from 50 percent to 70 percent. World Cup stadiums across the country are also set to be repurposed as multipurpose cultural and sports hubs, accommodating recreational and competitive sports as well as large-scale performances beyond their traditional use for soccer matches.

Applications for the 2027 project will be accepted from September through October, with a selection committee reviewing submissions before final recipients are announced around December.

"We have boldly expanded investment in public sports facilities with the view that public health is national competitiveness," Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young said. "We will strengthen the government's role in ensuring all citizens can maintain their health through exercise in safe and comfortable environments, and we will push forward related projects at pace so that people can feel the change."


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