Korea's Largest Marine Sports Festival to Be Held in Jeju in 2027

Jeju Selected as Host City for the 19th National Marine Sports Festival

A motor surf athlete is surfing at the Marine Leisure Sports Festival. Photo by Park Changwon.

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has successfully secured the hosting rights for the National Marine Sports Festival, the largest comprehensive marine sports competition in Korea, taking another step toward establishing itself as a global marine leisure hub.

Jeju Province announced that it has been officially selected as the host city for the 19th National Marine Sports Festival, which will be held in 2027.

With this achievement, Jeju will host two large-scale national sporting events in succession: the National Sports Festival in 2026, followed by the National Marine Sports Festival in 2027.

The National Marine Sports Festival is the largest comprehensive marine sports event in Korea, organized annually by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries since 2006 to raise public interest in marine sports and broaden its base. To date, a cumulative total of approximately 3.14 million participants, including athletes and spectators, have taken part in the event.

To select the host city for 2027, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries conducted an open call for applications from September to October of this year. After an on-site inspection earlier this month, Jeju was officially chosen as the host of the 19th National Marine Sports Festival on the 19th, following a resolution by the National Marine Sports Festival Committee.

With the festival being held in Jeju, which boasts outstanding natural scenery and a well-developed marine leisure infrastructure, it is expected to provide the public with high-quality opportunities to experience marine sports and greatly contribute to revitalizing local marine tourism.

The 19th National Marine Sports Festival is scheduled to take place in Jeju between July and September 2027, with an estimated total participation of 100,000 people, including 6,000 athletes.

In addition to the four official events-yachting, canoeing, finswimming, and triathlon-the festival will feature various additional events such as dragon boat racing, inflatable boat competitions, and open water swimming, as well as a wide range of marine sports activities open to club members and the general public.

Jeju Province plans to work closely with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to prepare diverse programs aimed at expanding the base of marine sports.

Oh Sangpil, Director of Oceans and Fisheries for Jeju Province, stated, "Jeju, with its beautiful sea and exceptional natural scenery, is the ideal location to host the Marine Sports Festival," adding, "We will make thorough preparations so that this festival becomes a stepping stone for Jeju to emerge as a global marine leisure hub."

Meanwhile, the 17th National Marine Sports Festival was held in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, in August this year, and next year's 18th festival is scheduled to take place in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province.