Let's Run Park Yeongcheon draws 13,000 visitors on opening day

Racehorses kick up dust during an opening-day commemorative race at Let's Run Park Yeongcheon on Sunday afternoon. [Photo by Kim Byung-jin]

Yeongcheon city in North Gyeongsang Province and the Korea Racing Authority said more than 13,000 visitors — 13,022 in total — flocked to Let's Run Park Yeongcheon on Sunday as the facility held its official opening ceremony amid nationwide anticipation.

The ceremony was attended by Korea Racing Authority Chairman Woo Hee-jong, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Food Policy Director Park Jeong-hun, National Assembly member Lee Man-hee, Yeongcheon Mayor Kim Byeong-sam and Yeongcheon City Council Speaker Ha Gi-tae, along with local residents, tourists and dignitaries from various fields.

The program opened with pre-ceremony performances by the Arirang Taemu demonstration team and the Army 3rd Military Academy band, followed by the formal opening, guest introductions, a commemorative video screening, congratulatory addresses, an opening performance and a commemorative race.

The opening performance and commemorative race marked the facility's official launch and signaled its ambitions as a new hub for the horse industry, culture, tourism and leisure.

Yeongcheon city said it plans to expand tourism packages linking the park with other local attractions, laying the groundwork for extended-stay tourism that lets visitors enjoy a range of sites and local content across the city.

"I extend my deepest gratitude to the residents of Yeongcheon who waited so long and joined us today for this opening," Yeongcheon Mayor Kim Byeong-sam said in his congratulatory address. "The opening of Let's Run Park Yeongcheon is more than just a new facility — it is a meaningful beginning that signals a new era of change and growth for Yeongcheon."

Dignitaries take part in a commemorative performance marking the official opening of Let's Run Park Yeongcheon on Sunday afternoon. [Photo by Kim Byung-jin]

The Korea Racing Authority also held the official opening ceremony at Let's Run Park Yeongcheon on Sunday, launching the country's first regional circuit horse racing operation.

The park is the fourth horse racing venue in South Korea, opening 17 years after the site was selected in 2009.

Following the pre-ceremony performances and opening event, six races were held, including the commemorative opening race, adding to the festive atmosphere.

The highlight was the first race — the "Let's Run Park Yeongcheon Opening Commemorative" race, which carried a total purse of 150 million won ($112,000). Jockey Jeong Do-yun, riding Momentum — a three-year-old Korean-bred filly — pulled off a come-from-behind victory in the final stretch.

Having run in the lower-middle of the pack for most of the race, Momentum surged late to reel in the leaders and cross the finish line first, claiming the first-place prize of 82.5 million won.

Competing in her longest race yet at 1,800 meters since her debut last October, Momentum overcame the challenge of adapting to the new Yeongcheon track and etched her name in history as the winner of the venue's inaugural race.

The centerpiece of Let's Run Park Yeongcheon is the country's first "regional circuit horse racing" system.

Under the system, racehorses and jockeys from the Busan-South Gyeongsang Province circuit travel to Yeongcheon every Sunday to compete, extending the reach of live racing by linking existing racing resources to a new region.

On opening day, 54 racehorses were transported in 11 specialized vehicles across roughly 125 kilometers.

Upon arrival, a dedicated team of veterinarians and farriers conducted rapid "pit-stop"-style health checks — including auscultation and hoof inspections — to verify the condition and safety of each horse.

Let's Run Park Yeongcheon will host live races and family leisure programs every Sunday.

"I am deeply grateful to the residents of Yeongcheon and North Gyeongsang Province who waited 17 years for this day," Korea Racing Authority Chairman Woo Hee-jong said. "We will develop this into a leisure destination the whole family can enjoy and a hub that makes a real contribution to the local economy."

Roads around Let's Run Park Yeongcheon are gridlocked as vehicles pour in on the facility's opening day Sunday afternoon. [Photo by Kim Byung-jin]

Meanwhile, roads surrounding Let's Run Park Yeongcheon were thrown into severe gridlock from the moment it opened Sunday, as visitor vehicles converged on the area all at once.

Lines of cars stretched along the main access roads from the morning, with traffic in some sections coming to a near-complete standstill for extended periods.

Vehicles queued for roughly 3 kilometers in every direction from the main entrance, turning the surrounding roads and open lots into what resembled a vast parking lot.

Inbound and outbound traffic became entangled as vehicles arrived simultaneously, causing significant inconvenience to both local residents and visitors.

The opening's impact extended beyond the park itself to nearby restaurants and commercial areas. Eateries and convenience facilities in the vicinity were packed throughout the day as visitors drawn by the opening poured in.

Local merchants expressed hope that the surge in visitors would lift sales, but also voiced concern that prolonged traffic and parking problems could inconvenience tourists and residents alike.

"I expected a big crowd on opening day, but I had no idea this many cars would show up all at once," one local resident said. "The roads were so backed up that even residents had a really hard time getting around."

While Let's Run Park Yeongcheon is seen as a promising new tourism and leisure hub for the region, the traffic and parking problems that emerged on its very first day have surfaced as challenges that will need to be addressed.

With far larger crowds expected on weekends and major race days than on weekdays, observers say there is an urgent need to improve traffic flow in and out of the venue, optimize parking operations, secure additional temporary parking and put road traffic management measures in place nearby.

Voices in the Yeongcheon area say that for the park to become a genuine engine of local growth, authorities must take a comprehensive approach — managing not only the facility's own operations but also the surrounding traffic, parking and links to local businesses such as restaurants.

Having proven its drawing power by attracting large crowds from day one, Let's Run Park Yeongcheon now faces the question of how smoothly it can absorb the influx of visitors and translate that footfall into broader economic vitality for the region.

kbj7653@heraldcorp.com