The 2026 National Life Sports Festival, to be held in Gyeongsangnam-do, will see participation from over 20,000 people... The opening ceremony is scheduled for the 24th at Gimhae Comprehensive Sports Complex.

*This content was translated by AI.

The 2026 National Life Sports Festival will be held in Gyeongsangnam-do.

The Korean Sports Council (President Yoo Seung-min) announced on the 16th that the 2026 National Life Sports Festival (hereinafter referred to as the Festival), the largest festival for domestic amateur sports enthusiasts, will be held for four days from the 23rd to the 26th across Gyeongsangnam-do.

The grand festival, which began in 2001 in Jeju as the "National Citizen Sports Grand Festival," has established itself as the nation's largest citizen sports festival, contributing to the promotion of citizens' health through citizen sports and fostering harmony between local · social classes.

At this year's National Sports Festival, delegations from 17 provinces and metropolitan cities across the country, totaling 20,084 athletes (16,614 competitors and 4,170 officials), will compete vigorously in 41 sports.

Events by sport will be held at venues located in cities and counties across Gyeongsangnam-do, centered on Gimhae City, the main host city. Representative athletes who qualified through city and provincial selection competitions will engage in friendly competition, fostering harmony across regions and generations.

The Korean Olympic Committee explained that it has significantly strengthened overall safety management by establishing sport-specific safety management plans, improving accident reporting systems, and enhancing emergency medical response systems, all with the safety of participants and spectators as the top priority.

During the Daechukjeon period, the '30th Japan-Korea Daily Life Sports Exchange Invitation Event' will also be held. A Japanese team composed of amateur athletes aged 30 and over in eight sports—football, badminton, tennis, volleyball, bowling, soft tennis, and baseball—will participate, fostering friendship across borders.

The Japanese delegation will begin with a welcome banquet on the 23rd, followed by the opening ceremony of the grand games on the 24th, participation in individual events from the 25th to the 26th, and tours of local culture. In September, the Korean delegation is scheduled to visit Japan, where they will foster friendship between enthusiasts of both nations through sports and cultural exchanges.

In addition, following the historic introduction of an AI-based game broadcast system at last year's Daechukjeon, this year the broadcast will be expanded to cover more sports events, with live streaming of game footage available in real time via the Naver Chizig 'Korean Sports Council TV' channel.

The Korean Sports Council emphasized that "citizens who find it difficult to visit the venue in person can enjoy the competition vividly online, and this is expected to serve as an opportunity to lay the groundwork for the digitalization and global expansion of future sports content."

The opening ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. on the 24th at Gimhae Comprehensive Sports Complex. Approximately 10,000 attendees, including · officials, sports community representatives, and other distinguished guests, as well as participants from each sport and citizens of the province, are expected to attend and grace the event.

In Part 1, a spectacular cultural performance showcasing the brilliant history of Gaya and the dynamic spirit of Gyeongsangnam-do will unfold. In Part 2, a diverse series of performances centered on Gyeongsangnam-do and Gimhae City leaping toward the future will follow.

Additionally, the Korean Sports Council plans to operate various promotional booths at Gimhae Comprehensive Sports Stadium during the tournament to guide the public on sports initiatives and launch a campaign aimed at improving conditions for citizens' participation in recreational sports.

This grand festival is organized by the Korean Sports Council, hosted by Gyeongsangnam-do Province and the Gyeongsangnam-do Sports Council, and financially supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation. For more details, please visit the official website of the event.

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*This content was translated by AI.