"All Wonju Citizens Healthy Through Exercise"... Wonju City Aims to Be a 'Top Sports City'

Expansion of Diverse Sports Facilities This Year with Enhanced Accessibility and Convenience
All-Weather Facilities Such as Indoor Cycling Park and VR Experience Center to Be Established

"We will strive to become the 'Nation's No.1 Sports City' so that all citizens of Wonju can sweat healthily."

Wonju City, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Mayor Won Gang-su), announced on the 23rd that this year it plans to accelerate the expansion of facilities with the goal of becoming the 'Nation's No.1 Sports City' by building easily accessible sports infrastructure so that all citizens can maintain their health through sports activities in their daily lives.

An outdoor ice rink opened by Wonju City, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, at the dancing performance hall. The outdoor ice rink opened last December and will operate until February 9. Photo by Wonju City Hall

Last year, Wonju City promoted various projects to create a sports environment where citizens could sweat healthily.

Wonju City fully renovated the aging environmental sports complex to prevent user safety accidents and improve convenience, and started the Wonjucheon Park Golf Course construction project in August last year to meet the increasing demand for park golf courses.

Wonju City is building various sports infrastructures in easily accessible locations so that citizens can maintain their health through physical activities. The photo shows the Nambu Complex Sports Center in Wonju City. Photo by Wonju City Hall

In addition, the Sohcho-myeon Heungyang-ri sports facility construction project for residents in areas with difficult access to downtown was also started in September last year after signing a free use agreement for national property with the 36th Division.

Besides facility construction projects, to provide citizens with unique recreational activities, an outdoor ice rink was opened around the dancing performance hall, attracting about 40,000 visitors in 2023. It reopened last December and will operate until February 9.

Accordingly, this year Wonju City plans to make sports infrastructure more dense and convenient for citizens by creating the Eastern Comprehensive Sports Complex, building the Taejang Cultural and Sports Complex Center, establishing an indoor cycling park, and expanding park golf courses.

First, to promote leisure activities and activate community sports for residents in the northeastern area, the Eastern Comprehensive Sports Complex will be started this year. With a budget of 38 billion KRW, it will include two soccer fields, twelve jokgu (foot volleyball) courts, and auxiliary facilities, scheduled for completion in the second half of 2026.

Also, 2.7 billion KRW will be invested to remodel existing buildings within Camp Long to create the Taejang Cultural and Sports Complex Center. Facilities including a sports VR experience center will be installed, with construction starting in September 2025 and completion planned for 2026. This will not only promote community sports but also lower the entry barriers for difficult sports such as rock climbing by utilizing VR/AR technology.

Another major sports infrastructure to be established this year is the indoor cycling park. The indoor cycling park will be built with a budget of 300 million KRW inside the multipurpose gymnasium of the Southern Complex Sports Center, with construction starting in February and completion expected in August. It will be usable regardless of weather conditions and will enhance Wonju City's recreational offerings and the enjoyment of exercise by linking indoor spinning bikes with virtual riding programs.

Finally, to meet increasing demand, park golf courses will be expanded. The 18-hole Wonjucheon Park Golf Course, under construction since last August at 786-4 Taejang-dong, will be completed by the first half of 2025. Additionally, an 18-hole Seomgang Park Golf Course will be built at 438 Chwibyeong-ri, Munmak-eup, with a budget of 960 million KRW. Discussions with the Wonju Regional Environmental Office to obtain river occupation permits will be completed in the first half of the year, aiming to finish the project within the year.

A Wonju City official stated, "Since large-scale public sports facility construction requires enormous budgets, we will secure national and provincial funds and sports funds as much as possible to minimize Wonju City's financial burden. We will also strive to revitalize the local economy by attracting various national competitions through the constructed facilities." He added, "By expanding sports facilities for various disciplines, we will create a healthy Wonju where citizens can sweat healthily and kickstart the leap to become the nation's No.1 sports city."