Sports for All Enthusiasts Gather in Jeonnam for National Festival

2025 National Sports for All Festival Opens on the 25th
Around 20,000 Participants Including Teams from 17 Cities and Provinces
Governor Kim Youngrok: "A Venue for National Unity and Harmony"

Jeollanam-do Governor Kim Youngrok delivers a welcoming speech at the opening ceremony of the 2025 National Sports for All Festival held at Mokpo Sports Complex on the afternoon of the 25th. Photo by Jeonnam Province

The "2025 National Sports for All Festival," a celebration for sports enthusiasts across South Korea, opened on the 25th at Mokpo Sports Complex with about 10,000 people in attendance, including local residents, athletes, and invited guests.

This event, held in Jeonnam for the first time in 19 years since the 6th National Sports for All Festival in 2006, features participation from teams representing 17 cities and provinces, as well as a team from Japan, bringing the total number of participants to around 20,000.

The opening ceremony, held under the theme "OK! Now Jeonnam, Vitality UP Sports for All!", proceeded in the order of pre-ceremony events, official ceremony, and celebratory performances. The program harmoniously showcased Jeonnam’s future vision and culture, receiving a warm response from the audience.

The pre-ceremony included a performance combining traditional percussion and b-boying, as well as a large-scale calligraphy performance by calligrapher Song Hongbeom, captivating the audience’s attention.

Next, the ceremony continued with the declaration of the opening by Lee Jongho, a former national football player from Suncheon, and Lee Yoonri, a silver medalist in shooting at the 2024 Paris Paralympics from Wando. This was followed by the athletes’ parade, a pledge from the sports community, and the main themed performances.

The themed performance depicted Jeonnam’s vision filled with new opportunities in areas such as cuisine, style, artificial intelligence (AI), bio, and data, adding a touch of warmth and hospitality to the stage.

Part 1, "Madangnori Jeonnam Saengsaengdyeon," showcased the foods, tourism, and hospitality of the southern region, portraying the adventures of Hong Gildong in search of true happiness.

Part 2, the "Drone Light Show," featured 1,000 drones, dynamically expressing Jeonnam’s future vision in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), bio, culture, data centers, and frontier spirit, drawing enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Part 3, "Harmony of Jeonnam," concluded the opening ceremony with a multimedia show that delivered a vivid welcome message to the participating athletes and brought the "OK! Now Jeonnam" vision to life.

The final celebratory performance featured trot singers Park Jihyun and Hwang Yunseong, ballad singer Lyn, and the girl group TripleS, heating up the night in Mokpo for all generations.

In his welcoming speech, Jeonnam Governor Kim Youngrok stated, "This festival is the grand finale of the national comprehensive sports events that Jeonnam has hosted for three consecutive years. I hope it becomes a festival for the well-being of the people, serving as a venue for national unity and harmony that brings society together."

Following the 2023 National (Para) Games and the 2024 National Youth (Para Students) Games, the 2025 National Sports for All Festival is being held from the 24th to the 27th, with 41 events taking place across 57 venues in 20 cities and counties, including the main host city of Mokpo.