Goyang City to Foster Esports and Gaming Industry with Five-Year Development Plan

Goyang Secures 50 Million Won in National Funding
80 Million Won Research Project Launched
Arena Demand and Fiscal Impact Assessment
KINTEX and Content Cluster Linkage Under Review
Mid- to Long-Term Industry Development Roadmap in Preparation

Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Min Kyung-seon) is setting out to establish a mid- to long-term strategy for nurturing the esports and gaming industries. The city plans to validate the feasibility of constructing an arena and create a five-year master plan encompassing corporate and team attraction, competition hosting, and talent development.

Bird's-eye view of the IP Convergence Content Cluster. Provided by Goyang City

On October 6, the city announced that it will pursue a research project entitled 'Formulation of a Master Plan for Esports Promotion and Game Industry Development and Feasibility Study,' with total funding of 80 million won—consisting of 50 million won from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s policy research fund and 30 million won from city funds.

The city will commence the study in the second half of this year, carrying it out over approximately eight months, and aims to finalize the master plan—applicable from 2027 to 2031—in the first half of next year.

This research project was launched after policy research funding for regional esports revitalization was included in the 2026 national government budget review by the National Assembly. Initially, the city's plan focused only on reviewing the feasibility of a dedicated practice center and a small-scale arena, but it has now been expanded to include overall development strategies for the gaming industry.

The city will analyze domestic and international policies and market trends, examine the local industrial base, site potential, and infrastructure, and gather feedback from citizens, youth, businesses, and teams to extract policy tasks.

The decision regarding whether to construct an arena will be based on actual demand, project cost, operational feasibility, and medium- to long-term fiscal impact. The city will compare new construction versus repurposing existing public facilities, the establishment of small-scale arenas or dedicated practice spaces, and collaborations with private facilities—while also reviewing appropriate scale, location, and operating entities.

Major research topics include attracting businesses and teams, revitalizing domestic and international competitions, fostering specialized talent, and supporting startups. In particular, the city will explore ways to connect these initiatives with the IP Convergence Content Cluster currently being developed in Daehwa-dong, Ilsanseo-gu, and at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX).

The Content Cluster, which has a total floor area of 5,198 square meters, will serve as a hub supporting the creation and commercialization of intellectual properties (IP) such as webtoons, broadcasting and visual content, and games, and is set to open in 2028. The city is considering utilizing these facilities to interlink functions such as hosting esports competitions, producing and exhibiting content, offering experience zones, and supporting businesses.

The master plan will include an industry development vision, policy objectives, sector-specific strategies, annual action plans, implementing entities by project, budgets, and performance indicators. The city will also consider securing funds from national and provincial governments through Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Gyeonggi Province projects, and ways to foster cooperation with private companies and teams.

Min Kyung-seon, Mayor of Goyang Special City, stated, "Esports is a field that can create new industrial value by connecting not just games, but content, media, tourism, and various other sectors." He added, "By closely analyzing the industry environment and actual demand, we will establish a mid- to long-term plan for the development of an esports and gaming industry that fits Goyang’s needs."

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