Gumi City Accelerates Air Dome Construction Project... Secures 2 Billion Won in National Funding

The Largest Domestic Track and Field Training Center

12 Billion KRW Allocated in First Round of National Funding This Year

Gumi City in North Gyeongsang Province has allocated 1.2 billion KRW in the first round of national funding for 2024, officially launching the Gumi Athletics Training Center (Air Dome) construction project.

Bird's-eye view (auxiliary stadium, air dome).

This project was selected as a result of the "Specialized Facility Support Project for Training Camps" competition, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation in March. Out of 12 local governments, Gumi City was ultimately chosen.

The Air Dome, an athletics training center, will be the largest of its kind in Korea. It will be built at the auxiliary stadium of Gumi Civic Stadium with a total investment of 15 billion KRW (5 billion from the national government and 10 billion from local funds), covering a total floor area of 13,994 square meters (4,240 pyeong).

To promote the project, the city held a resident briefing session to build consensus among local residents, and received strong support through city council consultations and surveys of local sports figures.

Currently, administrative procedures for the design competition are underway. With the first supplementary budget for 2024, 1.2 billion KRW in national funding has been allocated, securing a total of 2 billion KRW in national funds so far this year. The city plans to secure an additional 3 billion KRW in national funding in 2025, with the goal of completing the facility in the first half of 2026.

Once completed, the facility will serve as an all-weather, specialized athletics training center unaffected by seasonal weather. During the off-season, it will also be used as a venue for sports competitions, expos, exhibitions, and various cultural festivals.

Kwon Soonmo, Head of the Sports Promotion Division, stated, "With the successful hosting of the 62nd North Gyeongsang Provincial Sports Festival and the bid for the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships, we aim to elevate Gumi into a global sports city through the construction of the Athletics Training Center Air Dome."