Jeju Island Expands Stadiums in Preparation for 2026 National Sports Festival

41.6 Billion Won for Stadium Renovation, 1.8 Billion Won for Facilities for the Disabled

Jeju Island government office building exterior view.

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province will actively promote the expansion of sports facilities to successfully host the 107th National Sports Festival and the 46th National Para Games, both to be held in Jeju in 2026.

The National Sports Festival will be held across 50 events at 75 venues, while the National Para Games will feature 31 events at 37 venues. All venues will be upgraded to meet official competition approval standards, with a particular focus on enhancing accessibility and convenience facilities for people with disabilities and senior citizens.

Jeju Province will invest a total budget of 41.6 billion KRW, including 12.9 billion KRW in national funding, for the expansion of sports facilities for the 2025 events.

An investment of 2.7 billion KRW will be made in nine school sports facilities to be used as event venues, as well as for the maintenance and expansion of the Jeju National University tennis courts and the construction of additional squash courts.

Jeju City will allocate 7.1 billion KRW for land acquisition to expand the Hallim lawn bowls venue and for the maintenance of the indoor swimming pool at the main stadium. Seogwipo City will invest 11.6 billion KRW in the renovation of the Gangchanghak Sports Complex, which will serve as the main stadium for the National Sports Festival, and 13.4 billion KRW in the construction of the Seogwipo City Sports Complex, totaling 31.8 billion KRW for facility expansion projects.

Jeju Province plans to proceed with the official approval process with the Korea Sports Association and central sports federations as soon as renovations are completed.

In addition, 1.8 billion KRW will be invested next year to enhance convenience facilities at seven venues in the main stadium of Aewol Sports Park, improving accessibility for people with disabilities and the elderly.

Before commencing renovations, a joint inspection involving disability organizations and the sports association will be conducted to actively gather feedback from actual users. This approach aims to enhance the performance of athletes with disabilities and ensure safe and convenient facility use for senior citizens.

Jung Maengcheol, head of the National Sports Festival Planning Division, stated, "We will do our utmost to ensure that the newly expanded sports facilities in the province become beloved spaces for not only the athletes participating in the National Sports Festival but also for local residents as venues for lifelong sports activities long after the 2026 National Sports Festival concludes."

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