Donghae City Establishes Itself as the Sports Hub of Southern Gangwon Province

Hosting 27 National and Provincial Competitions and 164 Teams Across 7 Sports for Off-Season Training
Attracting 95,000 Participants and Generating a 32.9 Billion Won Economic Impact
Hosting the 61st Provincial Sports Festival and the 19th Disabled Sports Festival

Donghae City in Gangwon Province marked a significant year in 2025 by hosting a wide range of national and provincial sports competitions, not only focused on elite sports but also encompassing recreational sports and club tournaments. These efforts extended participants' and accompanying visitors' stays, leading to increased local consumption and propelling Donghae to become the premier sports city in southern Gangwon Province.

Exterior view of Donghae City Hall.

Additionally, the city significantly expanded its sports infrastructure compared to previous years, including the construction of new tennis courts, a youth baseball field, Balhan gateball and foot volleyball courts, the expansion of Mureung Park Golf Course, the creation of Jeoncheon Recreational Sports Park, and facility improvements in preparation for the Provincial Sports Festival. This provided a comfortable environment for both Donghae citizens and visiting athletes.

In particular, Donghae hosted 27 national and provincial competitions and attracted 164 teams across seven sports for off-season training last year, drawing approximately 95,000 people. As a result, the city generated a total regional economic impact of 32.9 billion won (6.3 billion won in direct effects and 26.6 billion won in indirect effects).

These achievements were not the result of one-off events, but rather the outcome of strategically hosting national-level competitions and off-season training camps with long stays and significant ripple effects, as well as attracting individual training teams. This led to increased demand in the food and lodging industries and made substantial contributions to local businesses connected to tourist attractions.

This year, Donghae City will continue to establish itself as the sports hub of southern Gangwon Province by hosting large-scale sports events and attracting off-season training teams. To realize a happy sports city together with its citizens, the city has finalized three major initiatives and 14 projects with a total budget of 22 billion won, and has established the Donghae City Sports Promotion Master Plan for 2026.

The city aims to create an environment where all citizens can enjoy healthy and happy lives by hosting and supporting various professional and recreational sports competitions, discovering and operating recreational sports programs, and supporting participation in events.

To this end, Donghae has allocated 6.15 billion won to support the operation of the city’s sports association, 2.018 billion won for hosting and supporting participation in national, provincial, and city competitions, 3.635 billion won for the 61st Provincial Sports Festival and the Disabled Sports Festival, 168 million won for sports club development and recreational sports classes, and 60 million won for supporting off-season training teams, totaling 6.5 billion won.

For the systematic promotion of sports for people with disabilities, the city allocated 108 million won to support the operation of the Disabled Sports Association and recreational sports activities, 162 million won for hosting and participating in competitions for people with disabilities, and 610 million won for assigning recreational sports instructors for seniors and youth, totaling 950 million won.

Additionally, to expand opportunities for low-income families, youth, and people with disabilities to participate in recreational sports, Donghae allocated 337 million won for sports class vouchers and 2.03 billion won for operating the Donghae Fitness Certification Center, which provides customized exercise counseling and management for citizens, totaling 590 million won.

The Baekse Health Sports Center, a customized gym for seniors' health and fitness, is being developed with a total budget of 10 billion won, with construction set to begin in 2026 and completion targeted for 2027.

To address citizen inconvenience and prevent accidents related to the use of public sports facilities, the city allocated 3.209 billion won for ten projects, including replacing artificial turf at the hockey field and improving facilities at the National Sports Center.

In particular, to ensure that the 61st Provincial Sports Festival and the 19th Disabled Sports Festival become celebrations that enhance unity and pride among Gangwon residents, the city has allocated 7.92 billion won for facility improvements. The city will thoroughly prepare by upgrading planned stadiums and auxiliary facilities to ensure the satisfaction of participating teams and spectators from cities and counties.

A Donghae City official stated, "This year, we will strive to contribute to the revitalization of the local economy by hosting competitions in a wider variety of sports and attracting more off-season training teams, ensuring that the benefits return to our citizens. We will continue to discover and support diverse recreational sports activities for citizens’ health and leisure, and do our utmost to establish a sports infrastructure where everyone can freely participate."

The official also added, "To ensure a successful and memorable sports festival for all two million Gangwon residents, we will meticulously inspect not only the stadiums but also all aspects of safety, medical services, transportation, volunteer work, tourism, culture, and accommodation before the event."