Yecheon Opens the Gateway for Korean Athletics to the World Stage

Korea Open International Athletics Competition
Upgraded to a World Athletics Ranking Points Event

Yecheon in North Gyeongsang Province has emerged as a key stage for assessing the international competitiveness of Korean athletics.

The Yecheon County Office announced that the 2026 Korea Open International Athletics Competition, to be held at Yecheon Stadium over two days from June 20 to 21, has been officially approved as a World Athletics ranking points event. The competition has also been selected for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s local government international event support program, further elevating its status.

Yecheon Stadium Takes Off with Bigger Wings for the 2026 Yecheon Korea Open International Athletics Competition

The Korea Open International Athletics Competition began in Jeongseon in 2017, was held in Yecheon in 2018 and in Gwangju Metropolitan City in 2019, but was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic before being resumed last year in Yecheon.

Although it has been operated as an international event alongside the KBS Cup, Korea’s largest athletics competition, until now athletes could not directly earn ranking points needed for the Olympics or World Championships. However, with this year’s official approval from World Athletics as a ranking points event, the Yecheon Korea Open has been upgraded to a fully recognized international competition.

On the international athletics stage, qualification for the Olympics and World Championships is determined through a dual system of standard records and ranking points. Since the standard records set by World Athletics are difficult to achieve, many athletes secure their spots through ranking points.

The inclusion of the Yecheon Korea Open as a ranking points event provides domestic athletes with the opportunity to earn meaningful points on home soil, without the burden of overseas travel, while also creating an environment to enhance their performance by competing against top international athletes.

In addition, with support from North Gyeongsang Province, Yecheon County has secured 60 million won in national funding by being selected for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s local government international event support program, ensuring a stable foundation for the event’s operation.

Currently, the only World Athletics ranking points events held annually in Korea are the Yecheon Korea Open and the Mokpo Asian Throwing Championships, with the Yecheon Korea Open being the only comprehensive athletics competition among them.

Kim Hakdong, Mayor of Yecheon County, said, “Through close collaboration with the Korea Association of Athletics Federations, we have once again confirmed Yecheon’s status as a city of athletics. This will be an opportunity for domestic athletes to earn ranking points in Yecheon and raise their international competitiveness by competing with overseas athletes.”

Having advanced to become an international stage that meets global standards, the Yecheon Korea Open International Athletics Competition is expected to serve as an important starting point for Korean athletics to reach the world this summer at Yecheon Stadium.