Gochang-gun Gains Spotlight as Winter Training Camp Venue

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jaegil] The soccer and baseball fields at Sports Town in Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk, have become popular from the New Year as athletes from various sports across the country visit.

According to Gochang-gun on the 13th, for the next ten days from this day, middle and high school rugby teams nationwide will conduct winter training, and from the 20th for 40 days, high school baseball teams will train at Gochang Sports Town.

Earlier, since the 6th, about 60 players from professional soccer youth teams and middle school baseball teams have visited Gochang-gun for winter training.

The county is opening sports facilities free of charge and providing drinking water and snacks. With the arrival of winter training teams, people have flocked to accommodations, restaurants, and tourist spots, which are usually off-season in winter, revitalizing the local economy.

In fact, local merchants are welcoming the training teams by offering various benefits. The Sports Marketing Public-Private Promotion Committee’s lodging and dining sectors provide visiting athletes with comfortable accommodations and substantial meals at affordable prices.

Especially this year, a total of 12 nationwide sports competitions, including several elite sports national tournaments (mid-high school badminton tournament in March, President’s Cup table tennis tournament in August, elementary school taekwondo tournament in August, university taekwondo tournament in November), are scheduled to be held in Gochang. It is expected that numerous training teams will visit Gochang to prepare for these events.

Yoo Gi-sang, the mayor of Gochang-gun, said, “Last year, about 1,200 athletes visited Gochang for training, and their stay greatly contributed to local business sales. This year, we will establish a sports marketing strategy that actively utilizes the enhanced sports facilities in cooperation with local residents to develop Gochang-gun into the central training hub of the Korean Peninsula.”

Meanwhile, Gochang-gun is designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve for the entire administrative district, making it one of the best sports meccas in the southwestern region with beautiful natural scenery.

With its year-round mild climate and perfect facilities necessary for training, such as public stadiums, futsal fields, indoor gyms, and swimming pools, it is recognized as an optimal location for training camps.

Additionally, in the second half of the year, a dedicated training center for winter training will be completed, and state-of-the-art exclusive venues for table tennis, badminton, and a soccer field will be constructed progressively.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.