National Para Games to Be Held September 11-16
National Sports Festival Scheduled for October 16-22
The 95th National Sports Festival was held in Jeju in 2014, where athletes took the oath. Courtesy of Jeju Province.
Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has finalized the schedule for the 107th National Sports Festival and the 46th National Para Games, both to be held in Jeju next year.
The National Para Games will take place ahead of the National Sports Festival, unlike other regions, and will be held from September 11 to 16, 2026, at 40 venues. Around 10,000 athletes and officials are expected to participate.
In the past, the National Para Games were often held after the National Sports Festival, which resulted in relatively low public participation and interest, and led to decreased morale among para-athletes.
To address this, since September last year, the province has worked closely with the Korea Paralympic Committee to hold the National Para Games before the National Sports Festival, aiming to realize a disability-friendly city and improve awareness of people with disabilities.
The Korea Paralympic Committee also strongly supported Jeju’s commitment to promoting para-sports and agreed to hold next year’s National Para Games five weeks before the National Sports Festival.
The 107th National Sports Festival will be held from October 16 to 22, 2026, at 75 venues across the province. Approximately 30,000 participants, including teams from 17 cities and provinces and overseas Korean teams from 18 countries, will compete in 50 sports.
Next year’s National Sports Festival in Jeju will be the fourth time the event is held on the island, following the 79th edition in 1998, the 83rd in 2002, and the 95th in 2014. The festival returns to Jeju after 12 years.
After the National Sports Festival, Jeju will also host the 55th National Youth Sports Festival and the 21st National Para Student Sports Festival in 2027, as well as the National Sports for All Festival and the 7th National Integrated Sports for All Festival in 2028. These events are expected to contribute to the revitalization of Jeju’s tourism and local economy.
To ensure the success of both festivals, Jeju Province plans to invest a total of 100 billion won to upgrade and renovate sports facilities, expand amenities for people with disabilities, and secure additional parking, among other infrastructure improvements. In addition, the province will implement various measures to encourage local participation, such as hospitality strategies and campaigns to promote a friendly Jeju image, turning the events into an opportunity to enhance Jeju’s value.
Jung Maengcheol, head of the National Sports Festival Planning Division, said, "Based on Jeju’s extensive experience in successfully hosting the National Sports Festival, we will make perfect preparations this time as well, providing the best competition environment for athletes, a festival of unity for the public, and making a significant contribution to revitalizing the local economy."
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