Renovating Aging Sports Facilities... Ministry Expands Public Sports Facility Renovation Budget by 2.7 Times

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will raise next year's budget for public sports facility renovation support to 2.7 times this year's level, in order to create an environment where everyone can enjoy sports safely and comfortably within their communities.

According to the Ministry on September 7, the budget proposal for the 2027 public sports facility renovation support project is set at 255.8 billion won, an increase of 160.5 billion won (168.4%) from this year’s 95.3 billion won.

The Ministry has decided to focus on improving the safety and convenience of existing facilities already in use by the public, rather than constructing new ones, so that the impact of budget investment can be quickly felt. This decision comes amid a growing need for renovation: nearly 70% of the nation’s 10,753 public sports facilities (excluding simple outdoor installations) are more than 10 years old, and the number of renovation requests has increased from 381 in 2023 to 484 last year.

Futsal Stadium. Photo by Yonhap News

Next year’s public sports facility renovation initiative will be carried out under three main objectives: enhancing safety, responding to climate change, and improving user convenience and facility utilization.

First, the central government’s funding rate for facilities in urgent need of renovation will be raised from 50% to 70%. This is intended to ease the financial burden on local governments with limited budgets and enable prompt improvements at facilities requiring urgent safety upgrades. The Ministry will also support projects installing temperature reduction systems, such as sprinklers, at artificial turf soccer pitches vulnerable to extreme heat.

Outdoor sports facilities facing increased restrictions due to more frequent heatwaves and heavy rainfall brought on by climate change will also undergo upgrades. The Ministry plans to help install roof coverings and canopy structures at tennis courts, basketball courts, and futsal pitches, allowing for all-weather use regardless of season or weather conditions.

Facility upgrades for spectators at stadiums will also receive support. In line with the current era of 12 million professional baseball spectators and 3 million professional football spectators, improvements will be made to amenities such as stadium seating and restrooms, along with expanded women’s and family-friendly spaces. Support will also be provided for replacing outdated broadcasting systems.

The Ministry will also pursue projects to increase the utilization rates of World Cup Stadiums nationwide. Efforts will be made to enhance facility performance and user experience, transforming venues from spaces used only for football matches into regional multi-purpose culture and sports hubs capable of hosting community sports, elite competitions, and large-scale concerts.

The recipients for the 2027 public sports facility renovation support project will be finalized in December, following a public call for applications running from this month through the next, and a review by the selection committee.

Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "We have boldly expanded investments in public sports facilities from the perspective that public health is national competitiveness.” He added: “The government will strengthen its role to ensure everyone can exercise while staying safe and healthy in a pleasant environment and will move swiftly so that people can directly feel these changes."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.