64th Jeonnam Sports Festival Opens in Jangseong for the First Time... "Growing Jangseong with Dreams!"

6,950 Athletes from 22 Cities and Counties in the Province Participate
Opening Ceremony Captivates with Drone Show and Performances

The 64th Jeonnam Sports Festival, being held for the first time in Jangseong County, Jeonnam, kicked off its four-day schedule with an opening ceremony on April 18. A total of 6,950 athletes from 22 cities and counties in Jeonnam are participating, making the event an opportunity to gauge the breadth of community sports in the province.

The opening ceremony, held that afternoon at Jangseong Public Stadium, began with a pre-ceremony performance featuring Kim Eunsuk's gayageum byeongchang, Song Kyungbae's daegeum performance, and the youth club 'Harang' band from Jangseong County. During the athletes' entrance, a unique route was staged, with teams moving gently along a sloped path to the center of the stage. This natural flow toward the main stadium stage was praised for narrowing the distance between participants and spectators.

Kim Hanjong, Jangseong County Governor, is delivering a welcome speech at the opening ceremony of the 64th Jeonnam Sports Festival. Provided by Jangseong County

Following the official proceedings?including the declaration of the opening, the raising of the tournament flag, the reading of the Sports Charter, and the oaths by athlete and referee representatives?the lighting of the torch served as the highlight of the event. Participants in the torch relay included Go player Kim Dabin, On Eunshin from a large family, rower Kim Misoo, and the heads of the Jae-gyeong and Jae-gwang hometown associations. The final torch was lit by YouTuber Gamst (Kim Injik), who is from Jangseong, and Kim Yongyul, coach of the Jeonnam Provincial Government fencing team. Together, they lit the cauldron at the center of the stage, symbolically representing the "unity of two million provincial residents."

In his welcome speech, Jangseong County Governor Kim Hanjong stated, "I hope this sports festival, prepared with the collective effort of all county residents, will unite Jeonnam as one and serve as an opportunity to broaden the horizons of sports culture."

After the opening ceremony, a celebratory stage featured performances by Kim Yeonja, Lyn, Jeong Dongwon, Kim Taeyeon, and Son Hoyoung and Kim Taewoo of god. A multimedia show with 300 drones lit up the sky, visually expressing Jangseong's city identity with messages such as "Growing Jangseong," "2025 Year of Visiting Jangseong," and the county mascots "Seongjangi" and "Jangseongi," earning enthusiastic applause.

A closing performance combining multimedia, fireworks, and dance is brightly illuminating Jangseong Public Stadium. Photo by Jangseong County

During this festival, 21 sports?excluding bowling and shooting?are being held throughout Jangseong County. There are 23 events in total, including track and field, soccer, volleyball, ssireum, boxing, and taekwondo, with 283 gold, 283 silver, and 419 bronze medals, for a total of 985 medals at stake.

Jangseong County expects that more than 20,000 people, including spectators, will visit the region during the festival. Running through April 21, the event serves as an opportunity to assess Jeonnam's regional sports infrastructure and explore the potential for promoting community sports.