Ok Kyunghun, Director of Basic Society Research Institute, "Gwangju Namgu Needs Expansion of Community Sports Infrastructure"

Meeting with Community Sports Participants Held... Exploring Activation Measures

‘Lee Jae-myung's Basic Society Research Institute (Director Oh Kyung-hoon) held a meeting with local sports enthusiasts to expand sports facilities in Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City.

Through the meeting, they identified the causes of the poor local sports environment in Nam-gu compared to other districts and sought ways to expand and revitalize public sports facilities.

Honorary Professor Jo Dong-jin (former Dean of Physical Education at Chosun University) and Professor Yoo Jong-sang (Department of Sports Leisure, Nambu University) attended, along with Shin Yi-seok, President of the Nam-gu Football Association, Ji Sam-hyun, Secretary General of the Nam-gu Football Association, Park Jin-woo, President of the Nam-gu Baseball Club, Lee Seong-beom, Manager of Tough Girls FC, and about 30 other local sports officials.

Most attendees expressed regret over the noticeably insufficient sports facilities in Nam-gu.

In fact, although 38 local sports clubs such as baseball, football, and gateball are active in Nam-gu, there is only one football field. Compared to Gwangsan-gu with 11 fields, and Seo-gu and Buk-gu each having 5 football fields, the situation is significantly poor.

It is not only football fields. While Buk-gu has 4 baseball fields, Gwangsan-gu has 2, and Seo-gu has 1, Nam-gu has none.

The situation with gateball courts is also serious. Gateball courts, popular among seniors, number 11 in Gwangsan-gu, 5 in Dong-gu, and 4 in Seo-gu, but only 1 in Nam-gu. Moreover, this single court has only 2 fields instead of the 4 required for official games, leading to criticism that it is a half-hearted gateball court.

Given these realities, dissatisfaction among local sports enthusiasts in Nam-gu has reached its peak.

At the meeting, attendees not only voiced complaints about the insufficient sports infrastructure in Nam-gu but also proposed practical solutions.

Suggestions included raising funds through a joint fund established by Nam-gu, local institutions, and regional banks, and forming a separate organization to implement these plans. There was also an opinion to use the nationwide sports festival to be held in Gwangju in 3 to 4 years as an opportunity to expand infrastructure. Additionally, there was a proposal to collaborate with companies moving into the soon-to-be-completed Energy Valley Industrial Complex to build public sports facilities around the complex.

Meanwhile, attendees unanimously agreed that spaces focused only on adults are insufficient for the whole family to enjoy, and that building sports facilities such as mini futsal fields where the entire family can participate is necessary for Nam-gu, known as an educational city.

Director Oh Kyung-hoon empathized with the seriousness of the lack of local sports infrastructure in Nam-gu and expressed a strong will to solve the problem.

Director Oh emphasized, “The administration and political circles bear great responsibility for attributing the demands of local sports enthusiasts to budget shortages and systemic issues,” adding, “We will take a responsible stance and maintain continuous interest in resolving this issue to improve the quality of life for Nam-gu residents.”