Uiseong Proves Itself as the ‘City of Cheonhajangsa’ Over Seven Days

880 Wrestlers from Korea and Around the World Gather
Successful Debut of the New Multipurpose Gymnasium

The 2025 Uiseong Cheonhajangsa Ssireum Grand Festival concluded successfully after seven days of intense competition, held from November 23 to 29 at the Uiseong Multipurpose Gymnasium.

Hosted by the Korea Ssireum Association and organized by the Uiseong Ssireum Association and the Uiseong Sports Council, the event brought together over 800 domestic athletes and more than 80 participants from eight foreign countries-a total of approximately 880 competitors-who demonstrated their formidable skills in ssireum.

Uiseong Proved Itself as the City of Cheonhajangsa for 7 Days.
880 Wrestlers from Around the World Gathered in Korea for the First Tournament at the New Multipurpose Gymnasium.
Photo by Byunggeon Kwon

During the festival, more than 20,000 spectators visited the venue, experiencing firsthand the strength and appeal of ssireum.

As the first large-scale wrestling tournament held at the newly completed Uiseong Multipurpose Gymnasium this year, the event is credited with further enhancing the regional brand value of Uiseong as the “home of ssireum.”

Outside the gymnasium, local agricultural and specialty product sales, food trucks, and hands-on activities were offered, increasing visitor satisfaction. The rise in local spending on accommodation, dining, and tourism also brought tangible vitality to the local economy.

The competition results were as follows:

▲ Student Division: Elementary - Wantong Elementary School (Gangwon), Middle - Youngshin Middle School (Daegu), High - Songgok High School (Seoul)

▲ University & General Division: University - Inha University, Men’s General - Ulju County Office

▲ Weight Classes: Sobaek Class - Lim Jonggeol (Suwon Special City Hall), Taebaek Class - Noh Beomsoo (Ulju County Office), Geumgang Class - Kim Gisoo (Suwon Special City Hall), Halla Class - Kim Muho (Ulju County Office)

▲ Women’s Division: Maehwa Class - Oh Chaewon (Goesan County Office), Gukhwa Class - Lee Jaeha (Ansan City Hall), Mugunghwa Class - Kim Hayoon (Geoje City Hall)

▲ World Special Champion: Men’s - Alejandro (Spain), Women’s - Cristina (Spain).

The coveted “Cheonhajangsa” title, which marked the grand finale of the event, went to Kim Minjae of Yeongam County Office, who concluded the seven-day contest with a spectacular victory.

Kim Jusu, Mayor of Uiseong, said, “It is very meaningful that the ssireum grand festival held in Uiseong has concluded successfully,” adding, “As a city with a strong ssireum tradition, we will continue to actively promote the development and expansion of the sport.”

This event went beyond a simple sports festival, reaffirming Uiseong’s status as the center of ssireum and a city paving the way for the future of traditional sports. The enthusiasm of the local community, the fighting spirit of the athletes, and the new stadium all came together to firmly establish Uiseong’s presence as the ‘city of ssireum’ nationwide.

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