Gimpo-si Expresses Firm Commitment to Hosting International Skating Rink

Emphasizing Vision and Execution at the Korea Sports Council President's Tour Meeting
Presenting Determined Will and Concrete Plans to Attract an International Skating Rink
National Survey Highlights Proximity to International Airport and Regional Hub as Key Factors

Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Byung-su) announced on the 19th that it expressed a strong desire and prepared execution will to attract an international skating rink, which was postponed last year, at the ‘2025 First Half Korea Sports Council President’s Tour Meeting’ held on the 18th at the Prumir Hotel in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

Gimpo City is promoting the attraction of an international skating rink at the '2025 First Half Korea Sports Council President's Tour Meeting' held on the 18th at the Prumir Hotel in Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Gimpo City

This meeting was organized as a communication platform where the Korea Sports Council President, Gyeonggi Province Sports Council President, and sports council presidents from 31 cities and counties in the province gathered to discuss major issues and exchange opinions for the development of local sports.

Before the official start of the meeting, the city, together with the Gimpo City Sports Council, held promotional materials prepared in advance to convey Gimpo City’s strong desire to attract an international skating rink.

Im Cheong-su, President of the Gimpo City Sports Council, introduced Gimpo City’s thorough preparations and concrete vision, saying, “Gimpo City is fully committed to attracting an international skating rink with a clear goal of creating a complex landmark where sports, culture, and urban space harmonize, rather than simply attracting a stadium.”

He added, “Prompt promotion of the public contest will minimize confusion among citizens and become a major turning point for the development of local sports,” and expressed his sincere gratitude to the Korea Sports Council President and related officials for allowing them to participate in this meaningful meeting.

Meanwhile, Gimpo City has been conducting multifaceted attraction activities in various ways, including ▲ signing an ice sports agreement among Seoul-Gimpo-Goyang ▲ a win-win agreement with the Korea Hotel Association ▲ activities of an expert-centered attraction advisory group ▲ online signature campaigns and briefing sessions. Even after the postponement of the public contest, Gimpo City has continuously conveyed its sincere intention to attract by frequently contacting the Korea Sports Council and ice sports-related officials.

Recently, Dr. Koo Han-min’s team from Yonsei University’s Urban Planning and Development Research Lab published results through academic journals indexed in the Korean Citation Index (KCI), concluding that the optimal location for building a 400m track skating rink in the metropolitan area is a region with good accessibility to Seoul or close to Seoul, and announced that Gimpo City is advantageous.

Earlier, in 2024, the Korea Social Opinion Research Institute conducted a survey of 1,000 adults aged 18 and over nationwide on ‘Public Perception of New International Skating Rink Location Conditions,’ revealing that whether the site is a major transportation hub and proximity to an international airport were prioritized conditions, confirming Gimpo City as the optimal location.