South Korea's Golf Population 'Surpasses Japan'... 5.64 Million vs 5.60 Million
Korea Leisure Industry Institute 발표 'Comparison of Golf Course Industries in Korea and Japan'
Korean Golf Course Annual Market Size 850 Billion KRW, 98.5% of Japan's
Korean Public Golf Course Green Fee 173,700 KRW, 3.1 Times More Expensive Than Japan
[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] The golf population in Korea has surpassed that of Japan.
According to the data from the "Comparison of Golf Course Industries in Korea and Japan" released by the Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute on the 15th, as of 2021, Korea's golf population reached 5.64 million, surpassing Japan's 5.6 million for the first time in history. In Korea, 10.2% of the population aged 13 and older play golf, while in Japan, the golf participation rate among those aged 15 and older is 5.7%. Considering the total population of 51 million in Korea and 120 million in Japan, the difference is even more pronounced.
The size of Korea's golf course market has grown to a level comparable to Japan's. Last year, Korea's golf course market size, including caddy fees, was estimated at 8.5533 trillion KRW, which is 98.5% of Japan's 8.6857 trillion KRW. Korea's golf course market size, which was 3.967 trillion KRW in 2011, has grown 2.16 times over the past decade. In contrast, Japan's market size decreased by 9.5% compared to 922 billion yen in 2011.
As of May last year, the weekday green fee at public golf courses in Korea was 173,700 KRW, which is 3.1 times more expensive than Japan's weekday green fee of 5,621 yen. Comparing the weekday green fee increase rates between 2011 and 2021, Korea's public golf courses saw a 57.8% increase, while Japan's decreased by 14.7%. Adding caddy fees and cart usage fees further widens the gap in golf course usage fees between Korea and Japan.
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Seo Cheon-beom, director of the Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute, stated, "As of May last year, the average weekday usage fee per person at Korean public golf courses was 230,000 KRW, which is 3.9 times higher than Japan's golf course usage fee of 58,800 KRW," and added, "Although Korea's golf population has surpassed Japan's, to become a true mass sport, reductions in green fees and expansion of caddy selection systems are necessary."
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