Geochang County Governor Lee Honggi Outlines Vision for Sports Tourism and Youth Sports Facilities at County Council Q&A Session

Answers Questions from Assemblymembers Kim Miyeong and Kang Wooyong... Plans Stay-Based Tourism Packages and Youth Sports Center
2027 Pilot of Stay-Based Park Golf Tourism Package... Local Currency Refunds Under Review
National Tournament Could Generate Up to KRW 480 Million... Geochang Aims to Become a Sports Tourism Destination
Youth Sports Center Grant Application Submitted... Public Facilities to Meet Sports Needs Across Generations

Geochang County in South Gyeongsang Province is making the development of stay-based sports tourism by linking park golf with local tourism resources, and the expansion of sports facilities for children and teenagers, key policy priorities.

Geochang County Governor Lee Honggi answered questions from Assemblymembers Kim Miyeong and Kang Wooyong during a county administration Q&A session, outlining specific plans to boost the local economy by attracting national park golf tournaments and expand sports facilities dedicated to teenagers.

In particular, the county plans to pilot a one-night, two-day tourism package for park golf enthusiasts starting in 2027. It also intends to offer visitors from outside the county a partial refund of their facility fees in Geochang Love Gift Certificates.

[Photo provided by Choi Sunkyeong] Geochang County Governor Lee Hong-gi answers questions on plans to boost stay-based tourism by linking park golf with tourism and expand sports facilities for youth during a Geochang County Council session on county administration.

◆ Boosting Stay-Based Sports Tourism by Attracting National Park Golf Tournaments

In response to Assemblymember Kim Miyeong's question about promoting stay-based tourism by linking park golf with tourism, Governor Lee said the county would expand its sports tourism infrastructure by improving facilities at the Second Changpowon Park Golf Course and attracting national tournaments.

To meet growing demand for park golf, the county built a 36-hole course at the Second Changpowon and began trial operations on October 1, 2025.

According to the county administration Q&A response, a total of 43,478 people used the course after trial operations began. Of these, 6,838 were visitors from outside the county, accounting for about 15.7% of all users.

The county received certification that the course meets the required standards from the Korea Park Golf Association in July 2026. It plans to prepare for national-scale tournaments by adding public parking and expanding amenities.

The county also plans to acquire additional land for the Geochang Sports Park Golf Course, improve facilities such as rest areas, and work with the Korea Park Golf Association to attract national tournaments and visits from clubs in other regions.

Governor Lee estimated that a national tournament would run for about 11 days in total, including three days of practice, six days of preliminary rounds, and two days of finals.

He estimated that the tournament would attract about 2,700 to 5,400 players and generate direct economic benefits of approximately KRW 240 million to KRW 480 million for local businesses, including lodging and restaurants.

However, these figures are estimates based on the assumption that a tournament will be held. The actual economic impact may vary depending on the scale of the tournament and participants' accommodation and spending patterns.

Governor Lee said, "We will learn from local governments at the forefront of sports tourism and develop detailed programs to extend visitors' stays in ways unique to Geochang, creating a virtuous cycle between sports and the local economy."

◆ Pilot One-Night, Two-Day Tourism Package and Local Currency Refunds in 2027

In a follow-up question, Assemblymember Kim Miyeong called for the development of specific tourism packages to encourage park golf visitors to use local lodging, restaurants, and tourist facilities.

She proposed a one-night, two-day tourism package combining a healing trip for couples with visits to hot springs, and asked the county to pilot it in 2027 for park golf clubs across the country.

In response, Governor Lee said, "Starting in 2027, we will develop one-night, two-day travel packages featuring healing trips for couples or visits to hot springs, and begin implementing them as a pilot program next year."

The county also discussed charging visitors from outside the area to use park golf courses and refunding part of the fee in local currency.

Assemblymember Kim pointed out that the Changpowon Park Golf Course is currently open free of charge to visitors from outside the county, limiting the extent to which their visits contribute to local spending.

She cited the example of neighboring Goryeong County, which charges visitors from outside the area KRW 5,000 to use its course and refunds KRW 3,000 of that amount in local love gift certificates. She proposed that Geochang County introduce a similar system.

Governor Lee said that, as the park golf course facilities continue to be developed, the county plans to pursue a local currency refund system similar to Goryeong County's starting in 2027.

Accordingly, key issues to be considered include the criteria for charging fees, the refund amount, and where local currency can be used.

◆ Expanding Sports Facilities for Children and Teenagers... Emphasizing the Role of Public Investment

Governor Lee also responded to Assemblymember Kang Wooyong's question about expanding sports facilities for children and teenagers, emphasizing the role of public sports facilities and outlining plans for their phased expansion.

Governor Lee said public investment in facilities is important in areas experiencing population decline, where it is difficult to ensure the profitability of sports facilities and private investment is therefore limited.

The county currently operates facilities including Sports Park, the National Sports Center, the Second Sports Town, and community sports facilities at the Second Changpowon. It is building public sports infrastructure that can be used by all generations, from children to older adults.

Facilities dedicated to children include a Changpowon kids' cafe built at a cost of about KRW 400 million. Approximately 72,000 people have used it to date.

In 2025, the county also renovated the zipline facility at Wolseong Youth Training Center at a cost of about KRW 700 million. The Youth Center and Youth Culture House also operate some sports facilities, including basketball courts.

The county provides about KRW 700 million each year to support outstanding young athletes and elite sports teams. It also provides approximately KRW 36 million to youth soccer teams through the "Discover the Next Son Heung-min Project," funded by the Hometown Love Donation Fund.

A swimming pool and an experiential play area are planned for the school-community complex at Geochang Elementary School.

Governor Lee acknowledged that the county's investment in sports facilities dedicated to children and teenagers has been somewhat inadequate, but said the county would expand them after taking into account demand for the facilities and its financial capacity as a whole.

◆ Youth Sports Center Planned... Selected for Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Grant Program

The county is planning to build a multipurpose youth sports center to support both sports and cultural activities for teenagers.

According to the county administration Q&A response, Geochang County has 8,047 teenagers, approximately 84% of whom, or 6,778, live in Geochang-eup.

There are 34 sports-related clubs for teenagers, with about 400 members, highlighting the need to expand infrastructure for youth sports activities.

As a pledge of the ninth popularly elected administration, the county is planning to use vacant land within Sports Park to build a multipurpose activity center with a fitness room, group exercise room, and cultural spaces.

The county applied for the project under a Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism grant program in October this year. It plans to proceed with the relevant administrative procedures in stages, depending on whether the application is selected and on funding availability.

In addition, once the ecological tourism and cultural complex project is completed in 2028, the county is considering remodeling the existing visitor center to expand the kids' cafe.

Governor Lee said, "We will carefully develop new sports facilities by taking into account residents' needs and the county's financial capacity as a whole, while making every effort to secure national and provincial funding. We will ensure that no resident is left out of sports activities."

Through this county administration Q&A session, Geochang County presented two policy priorities: developing the sports tourism industry by making use of existing sports facilities, and expanding sports infrastructure for teenagers.

Whether the park golf tourism package is put into practice, whether a local currency refund system is introduced, and whether the youth sports center is selected for the grant program and secures funding are expected to be key challenges in moving the policies forward.

Attention is now focused on whether Geochang County's efforts to promote sports tourism and expand sports facilities for teenagers will deliver tangible benefits to the local economy and improve residents' access to sports and welfare services.

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