Geochang, Sancheong, Hamyang, and Hapcheon Establish Integrated Promotion System
"Mutually Beneficial Provincial Sports Festival" Declared... Laying the Foundation for Efficient Management
Enhancing Execution Power Through Cooperation Among the Four Counties
The four counties in northwestern Gyeongnam (Geochang, Sancheong, Hamyang, and Hapcheon) have begun full-fledged preparations to successfully host the 66th Gyeongnam Provincial Sports Festival.
Focusing on the Provincial Sports Festival Planning Team newly established in Geochang-gun in January 2026, a comprehensive plan briefing was held on the 4th-floor main conference room of the county office on the 26th. During this briefing, they officially reviewed the preparation status and agreed to further strengthen the joint hosting system.
The briefing was attended by key figures including Geochang County Mayor Koo Inmo, County Council Chairperson Lee Jaeun, provincial and county council members, the president of the Sports Council, the superintendent of the Geochang Office of Education, the fire chief, and community representatives, who engaged in extensive discussions on the progress of the event. Through the briefing, officials reviewed the comprehensive plan and exchanged opinions so that the Provincial Sports Festival can contribute to regional revitalization, the expansion of sports infrastructure, and the unity of provincial residents.
Geochang-gun, Photos from the Comprehensive Plan Briefing for the 66th Gyeongnam Provincial Sports Festival
This was the first official meeting, and it focused on presenting the overall direction of the event and the tasks by sector, in order to build consensus and establish a cooperative system among participating institutions and organizations. In particular, by establishing an integrated promotion system that reflects the unique nature of the four-county joint hosting, and by clearly dividing specific roles in areas such as administration, facilities, operations, volunteering, and safety, they enhanced the efficiency of the preparation process and secured practical execution capability.
In addition, the four counties jointly hosting the event declared this festival to be a "mutually beneficial Provincial Sports Festival completed through joint hosting by northwestern Gyeongnam," and set three core goals: efficient management through role-sharing; realization of a sports, culture, and tourism convergence-type festival; and revitalization of the local economy in connection with the event. Their strategy is to differentiate it as a sports and cultural festival rather than a simple sports meet by combining the area’s outstanding natural environment with local cultural resources.
Geochang County Mayor Koo Inmo emphasized, "This comprehensive plan briefing is the starting point for the successful joint hosting," adding, "Based on an organic cooperation system, we will create a safe festival that all residents of Gyeongnam can enjoy together and use it as a springboard for the leap forward of northwestern Gyeongnam."
Starting with Geochang-gun, the briefing will also be held in Sancheong-gun, Hamyang-gun, and Hapcheon-gun. Through this process, it is expected that consensus between residents and stakeholders will spread on matters such as phased organizational structure, facility preparations, and event operation plans, and that the speed and completeness of preparations will improve according to roles by sector and by county.
The 66th Gyeongnam Provincial Sports Festival, to be held in 2027, will be held in a distributed format centered on Geochang-gun, with events also taking place in Sancheong-gun, Hamyang-gun, and Hapcheon-gun. Around 20,000 participants, including high school and general division teams, are expected to compete in 36 events (32 official and 4 demonstration).
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