Gyeonggi-do Suwon-si Wins Korea Sports Industry Award

Attracting Six Teams in Four Major Pro Sports
Supporting Neglected Sports Including Establishment of Women's Ice Hockey Team

Suwon City in Gyeonggi Province will receive the Grand Prize (Prime Minister's Commendation) at the Korea Sports Industry Awards Ceremony. On the 5th at 2 p.m., the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will present commendations to eight companies and organizations that have contributed to the development of the sports industry and related fields at the Olympic Parktel in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

Suwon City, which receives the highest honor, is the first basic local government to host six teams across the four major professional sports (football, baseball, basketball, volleyball). It has played a significant role as a home base by long-term leasing of home stadiums and reducing usage fees. It has also continuously invested in creating infrastructure such as stadiums and hosting various domestic and international competitions. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism explained, "It has greatly contributed to the development of the sports industry by expanding support for marginalized sports, including the country's first establishment of a women's ice hockey team."

The Excellence Award (Prime Minister's Commendation) goes to Creates. This company exports golf launch monitors (devices that measure the speed, spin rate, launch angle of golf clubs and balls using cameras or radar sensors, and predict the distance and trajectory of the ball) developed and manufactured with its own technology to about forty countries. The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Commendations are awarded to Seowon Leisure, which has held free golf course concerts and continued donations to underprivileged groups; Jims Company, which provided physical education services to infants and elementary students; and Central Pick, which led the popularization and professionalism of Pilates through mobile platform development.

The outstanding professional sports team award goes to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, a professional football team that ranked first in average attendance per capita. The outstanding local government award is given to Gimcheon City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, which hosted numerous national and regional competitions and attracted training camps. The individual merit award goes to Mr. Yeo Han-ung, who worked as a sports producer at Busan MBC for 35 years.