Goseong County Strengthens Community Sports Foundation to Become a City Where Daily Life Is Exercise

Operation of Demand-Driven Community Sports Programs

Goseong County in South Gyeongsang Province is pursuing policies to promote community sports under the goal of becoming "a city where daily life itself becomes exercise." The county is working to improve residents' health and create a vibrant local community.

To expand opportunities for participation in community sports, the county has focused on increasing public sports facilities. By establishing a variety of amenities such as park golf courses and indoor baseball practice centers, as well as upgrading existing facilities, Goseong County is narrowing the gap in sports infrastructure between regions. This effort is creating an environment where residents can naturally incorporate exercise into their daily routines.

Goseong County Expands Recreational Sports to Make Daily Life Active.
[Photo by Goseong County]

In particular, Goseong County plans to continue operating demand-driven community sports programs this year to ensure that everyone can enjoy sports in their everyday lives. A wide range of programs will be offered, including community sports classes for table tennis, badminton, and basketball; children's physical fitness classes (basketball, jiu-jitsu); youth athletic classes (kendo, crossfit, badminton, taekwondo); and a senior sports academy (archery, table tennis, yoga and pilates).

The county is also working to expand opportunities for vulnerable groups to participate in community sports, including the elderly and people with disabilities.

The Goseong County Sports Council and the Goseong County Sports Council for the Disabled are leading on-site classes taught by sports instructors, and five different sports classes for people with disabilities—including shuffleboard and badminton—are currently being operated. In particular, the county plans to further support sports clubs for people with disabilities, especially focusing on the increasingly popular park golf, to help foster a healthy leisure culture.

To build a foundation for voluntary sports activities, Goseong County is also actively supporting sports club activities.

Currently, there are 21 sports clubs in Goseong County, with more than 3,100 residents participating in club activities. The county provides financial support for participation costs in various competitions, including association-specific tournaments, the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Sports Festival, and the Gyeongsangnam-do Community Sports Festival, thereby expanding opportunities for residents to engage in sports.

In addition, the county is enhancing the sustainability and participation rate of community sports activities by operating club-based leagues for soccer, baseball, volleyball, and other sports.

Financial support for the promotion of community sports is also being strengthened. Through programs such as the Sports Class Voucher and Disabled Sports Class Voucher, the county provides monthly sports class tuition support—ranging from 105,000 won to 110,000 won—to more than 200 residents.

In particular, the sports facility usage fee support program for seniors aged 65 and older exceeded its original targets last year, leading to the closure of applications. This year, the program is being operated so that seniors can use ZeroPay-affiliated sports facilities in the county through the end of June.

A county official stated, "We will do our utmost to create an environment where anyone can easily participate in community sports and help build a healthy local community." The official added, "We will continue to work with the Goseong County Sports Council and the Goseong County Sports Council for the Disabled to expand the base of community sports and its programs, contributing to the improvement of residents' quality of life."

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