A Record-Breaking Participation
Over 33,000 Athletes to Compete
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that the 106th National Sports Festival will be held throughout Busan Metropolitan City from October 17 to 23, 2025.
Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will attend the opening ceremony at Busan Asiad Main Stadium at 6 p.m. on October 17 and declare the opening of the event.
The National Sports Festival, which began with the 1st All-Joseon Baseball Tournament in 1920, has been held annually, and since the 54th National Sports Festival in Busan in 1973, the event has been hosted in rotation across different regions. This year’s festival, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, organized by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, and co-hosted by Busan Metropolitan City, the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, and the Busan Sports Council, returns to Busan for the first time in 25 years since 2000. Under the slogan “One Korea United in Busan, the City Where You Want to Live,” competitions in 50 sports (48 official, 2 demonstration) will take place at 77 venues across 18 districts, counties, and wards in Busan.
This year’s event will see a record participation of more than 33,000 athletes, including approximately 29,000 athletes from 17 regions nationwide and over 1,500 athletes from Korean sports organizations in 18 countries. As this National Sports Festival serves as a prelude to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games scheduled for September next year, it is expected to offer a preview of future national team athletes who will shine at the Asian Games.
The opening ceremony, held under the theme “Ships Arrive, Busan!” will be attended by about 30,000 people, including athletes and spectators, and will be broadcast live on KBS 1TV. All matches are open to the public free of charge, and detailed information such as schedules and venues for each sport can be found on the official website.
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