Gwangju City Launches Full-Scale Expansion and Environmental Improvement of Public Sports Facilities

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 8th that it will actively respond to the increasing demand for public sports facility usage every year and create a pleasant environment by investing a budget of 21.3 billion KRW in 14 locations this year to expand public sports facilities and improve the environment.

First, two open-type gymnasiums, one Korea Swimming Promotion Center, and two National Sports Centers will be newly constructed, and renovation projects will be promoted for nine aging facilities including Mudeung Stadium remodeling and World Cup Stadium.

The two open-type gymnasiums will be built in Pyeongdong Industrial Complex and Bitgreen Industrial Complex with 10 billion KRW each, totaling 20 billion KRW, covering a total floor area of 2,500㎡ with one basement floor and 2 to 3 floors above ground.

They will include swimming pools, indoor sports facilities, and multipurpose rooms. The detailed design will be completed by May this year, and construction is planned to be completed by May next year.

The Korea Swimming Promotion Center, to be located at Nambu University in Gwangsan District, will be built with a budget of 37 billion KRW, covering three floors above ground and a total floor area of 8,755㎡, aiming for completion by 2024. The basic planning service will be promoted by July, and design competitions and detailed designs will be completed in the second half of the year.

As part of the Living SOC project, two National Sports Centers will be constructed at Mudeung Stadium and Sangmu Citizen Park with 7 billion KRW each, totaling 14 billion KRW, covering a total floor area of 2,000㎡ to 3,200㎡, consisting of gymnasiums, swimming pools, and fitness centers. Detailed design will be completed this month, and construction will be completed by December next year.

In addition, the Mudeung Stadium remodeling project, which is being promoted for efficient space reorganization and facility safety, has been investing a total project cost of 45.8 billion KRW since 2018 to renovate it into an amateur baseball field, an underground parking lot with 1,000 spaces, and a resident rest area.

This project started construction in February last year and will be completed by April next year.

Also, the Seo-gu World Cup Stadium, which has reached 20 years since its completion, plans to carry out repair reinforcement and anti-rust painting for the roof structure's safety, with a budget of 7 billion KRW. The detailed design will be completed in the first half of this year, and completion is scheduled for the second half of next year.

The soccer-exclusive stadium opened last year will invest 1.3 billion KRW to reinforce spectator safety facilities and expand insufficient auxiliary facilities such as restrooms and concession stands. The detailed design will be completed in the first half of this year, with completion planned for December.

Furthermore, Gwangju City will regularly inspect 33 public sports facilities entrusted to the City Sports Council and Urban Corporation for facility damage and aging conditions, and will invest budgets to repair and renovate facilities that require maintenance to minimize inconvenience to residents.

Upon completion of the projects, it is expected that not only balanced expansion of public sports facilities by region but also the possibility of participating in sports activities in a safe and pleasant environment will be realized.

Kim Jun-young, Director of the City’s Culture, Tourism and Sports Office, said, “As leisure activities and health promotion through sports expand, we will do our best to expand public sports facilities that anyone can easily use and experience various sports activities.”

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