Park Chang-yeol, President of the Golf Course Management Association, "We Will Establish a Direction to Protect Industry Rights"

Government and National Assembly Regulatory Policies Criticized at the Regular General Meeting

"We will establish the right direction to protect the rights and interests of the golf course industry and respond well to new challenges."

Park Chang-yeol, President of the Korea Golf Course Management Association
[Photo by Korea Golf Course Management Association]

On the 22nd, Park Chang-yeol, president of the Korea Golf Course Management Association, emphasized this at the 2023 regular general meeting of the association held at Maison Glad Hotel in Jeju, stating, "The regulatory policies drafted shortsightedly by the National Assembly and the government regarding the golf course industry, which unexpectedly benefited over the past three years due to COVID-19, will cause additional side effects."

This remark was made with the National Assembly's proposal last year of the "Amendment to the Act on the Installation and Use of Sports Facilities" in mind, aimed at reorganizing the classification system of golf courses. Subsequently, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced a notice regarding the designation of public golf courses and promoted the restructuring of the new golf course classification system, including membership, non-membership, and public types. Under the new classification system, to be designated as a public golf course, an entrance fee must be set at least 34,000 KRW lower than that of membership golf courses, introducing a price ceiling.

At the regular general meeting, the Golf Course Management Association approved agenda items such as the 2022 business analysis, financial settlement report, and election of association auditors. In addition, a comprehensive report was presented on the status of golf courses nationwide and user statistics for 2023, as well as the implementation plan for the association's 50th anniversary commemorative event in 2024.