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▲ Winter training camp – badminton (provided by Gangjin-gun) |
[시사일보=김정필 기자] Jeollanam-do, with its mild climate, excellent sports infrastructure, and systematic support from local governments, is attracting attention as the center of national winter training as athletes from all over the country continue to visit every winter.
According to Jeonnam Province, a large number of athletes from various sports, including soccer, baseball, track and field, and badminton, are visiting and training in each city and county in Jeollanam-do during the 2025-2026 winter training period.
In particular, the biggest strength is that the average temperature in winter is 2.6°C, which is 2.2°C higher than the national average temperature of 0.4°C, and the risk of training interruption is low due to low snow cover. The fact that accessibility in the metropolitan area and the Yeongnam-Honam region has been greatly improved due to the expansion of the KTX and highway networks also plays a role.
The city and county provide a customized field training environment based on a sports complex, all-weather training facilities, artificial turf field, indoor gym, weight training center, and support for lodging, meals, and transportation. We are increasing the rate of repeat visits by reducing training center rental fees and operating local tourism-linked programs.
Gangjin-gun has a mild winter climate, a variety of sports infrastructure such as a comprehensive stadium, a soccer stadium, and a multi-purpose indoor gymnasium, and provides local love gift certificates depending on the period and number of visitors. More than 200 teams in six sports, including soccer, bowling, volleyball, and badminton, from all over the country, with a total of 38,000 athletes, are scheduled to stay for an average of 9 days, strengthening its status as a long-term training camp.
Mokpo City is holding winter training camps and stove leagues one after another, with 35 teams in 4 sports, including track and field, soccer, and baseball, training with over 11,000 people. An additional 3,000 people from 15 teams in three sports, including soccer, track and field, and hockey, are scheduled to visit by February. We are also working to increase the repeat visit rate by providing local love gift certificate incentives and providing transportation facilities.
With the completion of Haenam Sports Park and Old School Gymnasium, Haenam-gun plans to attract 41,000 people in 12 sports, more than 10,000 more than last year, through winter training this year. The Haenam Spo-tour, which combines training and tourism, will be launched for the training camp. You can use the winter training rehabilitation center where five professional trainers are stationed for free.
Gurye-gun has 73 teams in 4 sports, including 38 soccer teams, 19 taekwondo teams, and 14 wrestling teams, and 16,700 people are training in winter training. If you stay for more than 5 days, we provide partial support for your stay with a local love gift certificate and bottled water for the athletes. In February, the Gurye Nogodanbae Youth Soccer Festival is scheduled to be held in conjunction with field training.
Hosting winter training camps is also providing substantial help to the local economy. Accommodation, food, transportation, and household consumption generated during the athletes’ stay are leading to increased sales of local small businesses, and the effect of revitalizing the tourism industry in the off-season is also showing.
From September 2024 to August 2025, a total of 64 sports, 2,854 teams, and 916,000 people were trained for training, resulting in a ripple effect on the local economy worth about 94.3 billion won. Among these, 29 sports, 1,548 teams, and 350,000 people per year visit Jeonnam during the winter training period (November 2024 to February 2025), solidifying its position as a ‘holy place for winter training.’ The economic ripple effect amounts to 36 billion won. The local economic ripple effect of hosting annual field training tripled from KRW 31.5 billion in 2022 to KRW 94.3 billion over three years.
Jeonnam Province is making every effort to attract field training by holding field training briefing sessions and fam tours to contribute to increasing the living population and revitalizing the local economy. In order to build optimal sports infrastructure, cities and counties with excellent attracting performance in the previous year are selected every year and incentives for sports facility renovation are also provided.
An official from Jeollanam-do said, “Jeonnam-do is the optimal training ground with the three elements of climate, facilities, and support system,” and added, “We will continue to strengthen our status as a winter training mecca by creating an environment that satisfies the athletes and coaches.”
