[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "We plan to host the Geumgangsan World Golf Championship in 2025."
Lee Jung-myung, the newly appointed president of the Korea Golf Association (KGA) (photo), expressed his grand vision at the inauguration ceremony held on the 26th at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. The event is the hosting of the World Amateur Team Championship, organized by the International Golf Federation (IGF), in North Korea. "If a golf tournament is held at the Geumgangsan Ananti Golf Course, it will provide a significant boost to the atmosphere of inter-Korean reconciliation," he said, adding, "We are currently consulting with relevant government ministries and have formed a task force team within the association."
Established in 1958, this is the most prestigious stage for amateur golf held every two years. Next year, it will open in Paris, France, and in 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. President Lee is notably the key figure behind the Geumgangsan Ananti Course. It was developed in 2004 in Onjeong-ri, Goseong-gun, Gangwon Province, North Korea, within the Geumgangsan Tourism Complex, and even hosted the Korean Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour Emerson Pacific Group Open in 2007. Of course, restoring the golf course, which has been neglected for over 12 years, requires crucial inter-Korean cooperation.
Another priority project during President Lee's term is the effective management of the national golf team. "First, in cooperation with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, we plan to secure a fitness center and driving range for national team players at the athlete village in Jincheon, Chungbuk, and establish training facilities and a full 18-hole course in the metropolitan area," he said. He added, "We will also strengthen the role of the Korea Golf Association in popularizing golf through measures such as individual consumption tax reductions and green fee discounts for promising players."
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