The 106th Winter Sports Festival Opens... 4,278 Athletes Participate

Four Days of Fierce Competition in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Until the 21st

The 106th National Winter Sports Festival (Winter Sports Festival), the largest comprehensive winter sports competition in Korea, will be held from the 18th to the 21st, centered in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province.

The Winter Sports Festival is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and hosted by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, with Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Office of Education, and Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Sports Council organizing the event. The Winter Sports Festival, which can be said to be the very history of Korean winter sports, began in 1925 as the 1st All Joseon Ice Skating Competition.

The 106th Winter Sports Festival will feature 4,278 athletes from 17 city and provincial teams nationwide. Ice skating and ice hockey events will be held mainly at Pyeongchang Yongpyong Resort, Alpensia Resort, Gangneung Hockey Center, and Gangneung Curling Center. Speed skating competitions will take place at the Taereung International Ice Rink in Seoul, and alpine skiing events will be held at the Ice Climbing Venue in Cheongsong, Gyeongbuk.

This Winter Sports Festival is a winter sports event held once again in Gangwon Province following the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games, aiming to continue the history of winter sports by utilizing the legacy of the Winter Olympics.

At this Winter Sports Festival, naturalized Russian-born athlete Ekaterina Evakumova, who won two medals at the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games, and multicultural family athlete Abe Mariya will participate in the biathlon event. The participation of athletes from diverse backgrounds is expected to contribute to fostering a culture of respect for diversity and inclusion, adding to the meaning of the festival as a celebration united through sports.

All competitions are free for anyone to watch, and detailed information such as schedules and venues for each event can be found on the official website.

The opening ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. on the same day at Pyeongchang Yongpyong Resort in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province under the theme "A Special Winter in Gangwon, One Korea!" Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon will attend the opening ceremony to encourage the athletes.

Minister Yoo In-chon said, "The efforts you athletes have accumulated so far will become the foundation that drives the development of winter sports in our country," adding, "I hope your sweat and passion bear fruit and lead to the achievements you aim for." He continued, "The sportsmanship that the athletes will show will bring hope and inspiration to our people, and I will support your passion together with the public." He emphasized, "The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will work to improve the welfare support system for athletes and support their career paths after retirement, and together with Yoo Seung-min, the president-elect of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, we will strive for reform in the sports community and the development of winter sports."