LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam Launches Large-Scale Innovation Project for 20th Anniversary

Aiming to Restore the Reputation as the Nation's Largest Horse-Themed Park

A strong wave of change is sweeping through LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam, led by Director Eom Youngseok.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam has declared a second leap forward and launched a large-scale innovation project.

In May, LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam formed a re-leap project team under the slogan "20 Years Together: Connecting Horses, People, and the Community."

The plan is to restore its reputation as the region's leading family park and to realize its original vision as the nation's largest horse-themed park through five innovation initiatives and 31 detailed projects. The re-leap project focuses on five core keywords: all generations, digital transformation, complex cultural space, healing and hope, and warm companionship, gathering the full capabilities of all employees.

To strengthen its identity as a family-friendly complex leisure park, LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam has begun a comprehensive renovation of its park facilities. First, to create a park that visitors want to enjoy in all seasons, the park is securing a wide range of content. By adding stage performances to events linked with major races, the park aims to develop local festivals on par with global horse racing festivals.

Additionally, the park will operate seasonal themed events and eco-friendly electric tour trains. Tours that explore hidden stories throughout the park, including special sections that are usually difficult for visitors to access, are expected to offer a unique immersive experience exclusive to LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam.

Furthermore, the park will expand events that all age groups can participate in, such as the Color Race, which was successfully held in May, and the currently popular Water Festival.

A large-scale garden will also be created, where families can go on outings or take leisurely walks. Through events linked to seasonal landscaping, visitors will be able to enjoy various events and experience the changing seasons at the racecourse park.

The park is also focusing on establishing a safe and convenient betting environment. At the end of last year, all outdated network equipment was replaced, and a 5G-based Wi-Fi system was installed, completing a high-quality communication infrastructure and preparing for digital transformation. This year, the introduction of an intelligent barcode gate system will significantly reduce customer waiting times at entrances.

In addition, a new online integrated betting center will be established on the first floor of the grandstand, the area with the highest customer traffic. The space will be redesigned so that everything from electronic card registration to online face-to-face registration can be handled in one place. By connecting the DerbyOn app registration to beginner horse racing classes, the park will support both online and offline services, allowing visitors to enjoy a more convenient and enjoyable experience.

Of particular note is the large digital signage installed in the Rookie Zone Derby, measuring 288 inches (7.04 meters wide and 1.28 meters high). This high-resolution screen will provide visitors with vivid scenes from the races and a variety of horse-related content, delivering a unique entertainment experience exclusive to LetsRun Park.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary, LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam will open a new gallery-style history museum. The project, which began in May with a dedicated task force, will feature exhibits introducing the racecourse park, the horse culture that has continued since the Three Kingdoms period, the history of horse racing in Busan that began during the Japanese colonial era, and famous racehorses throughout history.

At Derby Square, a "Lucky Horseshoe Path" will be created using horseshoes worn by racehorses. This path, which stretches from the central gate of LetsRun Park to the grandstand, was designed to honor the achievements of racehorses and share the luck of the horseshoes with customers. The Lucky Horseshoe Path will be unveiled at the 20th anniversary event in September.

The park will also completely revamp its image using Malma, the popular Korea Racing Authority character. Following the installation of a 7-meter-tall Malma balloon in May, sculptures and photo zones will be placed throughout the park to strengthen the brand's personality and interactive elements. At the same time, the park is exploring ways to reopen Hostoryland, which has been closed since 2019.

LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam has been conducting various social contribution horseback riding programs that utilize the vitality and healing effects of horses. Recently, horseback riding has been actively used to address issues such as avoidance of marriage, low birth rates, and career interruptions among women.

The "Masaengyeonbun" horseback riding program, regarded as the public sector's version of "I Am Solo," facilitates meetings for the younger generation, while the "Parenting Support Horseback Riding Picnic" program helps address gaps in childcare. Special programs are also provided for women who have experienced career interruptions, focusing on psychological stability.

The park also works to protect vulnerable groups and bridge welfare gaps through horses. It collaborates with local hospitals for long-term patients and with education offices for after-school programs. Social contribution activities through horseback riding, such as rehabilitation riding for people with disabilities and healing riding for the families of public service workers, are showing immense potential and are developing in various fields.

To mark its 20th anniversary, LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam will launch its largest-ever donation project to help resolve local community challenges. By establishing a local problem-solving platform with Gimhae City in Gyeongsangnam-do and Gangseo-gu in Busan, the park will implement 11 projects, including senior welfare, support for self-reliance of children leaving protection, and assistance for multicultural families.

To support social enterprises in the Busan and Gyeongnam regions, the park is carrying out various projects to create quality jobs in the community, including startup incubation support, job support for young artists, and grassroots social enterprise support activities.

Eom Youngseok, Director of the Korea Racing Authority Busan-Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters, stated, "If the past 20 years have been about laying the foundation for LetsRun Park, the next 20 years will be about transforming it into a comprehensive cultural and leisure space enjoyed by the local community. LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam will strive to become a warm companion that contributes to the lives of local residents, going beyond being just a horse racing park."

LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam will host a 20th anniversary week with local residents this September. Starting with a 20th anniversary relay event, various activities will be held, and a large-scale 20th anniversary ceremony will take place on September 28. At the ceremony, the park will look back on the achievements of the past 20 years and announce its vision for the next 20 years.

LetsRun Park Busan Gyeongnam.

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