Hwacheon County Extends Sancheoneo Fever Through Sports... All-Out Push for Year-Round National Competitions

Hwacheon County Drives Year-Round Sports Marketing with Park Golf, Football, and Water Sports
Season-Opening National Park Golf Competition Kicks Off on the 24th, Marking the Start of a Long Campaign
All-Out Effort to Attract Training Camps... Transforming into a Stay-Type Sports City

Having successfully wrapped up the world-renowned winter festival, the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, Hwacheon County in Gangwon Province is now revving up the engine of the local economy once again through year-round sports marketing.

2025 Hwacheon DMZ Rally. Provided by Hwacheon-gun

2025 Hwacheon DMZ Rally. Courtesy of Hwacheon County

According to Hwacheon County on the 17th, the county plans to leverage the heightened external recognition gained from the Sancheoneo Ice Festival to attract sports events, host nationwide competitions from spring through late autumn, and turn them into a solid pillar supporting the local economy throughout the year.

The first event to kick off this year’s calendar will be park golf.

The 2026 Hwacheon Season Open National Park Golf Competition, which marks the opening of the domestic park golf season, will be held from February 24 to March 11 at venues including the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Park Golf Course and the Yongam-ri Sports Park Park Golf Course.

From March, the 2026 WK League regular season for women’s professional football will begin. Hwacheon KSPO, based in Hwacheon, will once again be aiming to defend its championship title this year.

In May, the 24th Hwacheon Paroho Cup National Canoe Competition and the 2026 Hwacheon DMZ Rally will follow.

The 2026 National Couples Park Golf Competition will start its preliminary rounds in May, with the finals taking place in June.

In August, the National Chronic Disease Overcoming Health Park Golf Competition, the 2026 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Cup National Open Badminton Competition, and the 19th Hwacheon Peace Cup National Rowing Competition will be held in succession.

Hwacheon Paroho Cup National Canoe Competition. Provided by Hwacheon County

Paroho Cup National Canoe Competition. Provided by Hwacheon County

In September, the 2026 Hwacheon Sancheoneo National Park Golf Festival, the largest park golf festival in Korea, will get underway.

In October, the National Cancer Overcoming Health Park Golf Competition will be held, followed in November by the 2026 National Park Golf King of Kings Competition.

In addition to nationwide competitions, Hwacheon County is also devoting considerable effort to attracting training camps that stay in the region for extended periods.

Hwacheon County Governor Choi Moonsoon said, "If the Sancheoneo Ice Festival has been responsible for Hwacheon’s winter, then sports marketing that continues throughout all four seasons is the key driving force that sustains the local economy year-round," adding, "We will concentrate all our capabilities on ensuring the successful hosting of nationwide competitions and actively attracting training camps so that they can provide tangible benefits to the lives of our residents."

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