Korean Sports Council to Significantly Expand 2026 Youth Sports Foundation Building Project

*This content was translated by AI.

The Korean Sports Council will significantly expand and operate the 2026 Youth Sports Foundation Building Project to increase youth participation in sports activities and disseminate customized programs for each sport.

The Youth Sports Foundation Building Project is a program that develops a 'customized modified sports model' that relaxes game rules and equipment to consider the physical development of children and adolescents, and disseminates it to schools on the front lines.

This year, a total budget of 9.17 billion won, an increase of 4.77 billion won compared to the previous year including supplementary budgets, will be invested. In addition, to ensure the long-term stability of the project, the support target was expanded from elementary school students to middle school students (first-year students prioritized for dissemination).

The organizing bodies were selected through a public recruitment and were finalized as 31 organizations at the end of May.

The selected organizations will carry out customized projects tailored to the characteristics of each sport annually. They will autonomously select items from five core support types: ▲development of customized modified sports models ▲job training for teachers ▲school physical education training and equipment support ▲holding competitions for students in participating schools ▲providing customized programs for after-school care classes (childcare classrooms), and will launch close support.

In addition, the Korean Sports Council will take preemptive action in preparation for the establishment of the integrated subject 'Healthy Living' for elementary grades 1 and 2. Having already completed the development of a customized physical activity program for infants and youth, the Council plans to expand job training for elementary school teachers nationwide to ensure that the program can be immediately and smoothly applied in school settings.

Yoo Seung-min (Chairman) stated, "It is time for the sports community to actively respond in line with the government's policy will to establish a physical activity subject for lower elementary grades and activate youth sports participation," and added, "Together with the organizing bodies, we will create a safe and interesting sports environment tailored to the level of youth, laying a solid foundation for lifelong sports."

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*This content was translated by AI.