Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to invest a whopping 255.8 billion won in renovating aging public sports facilities — an increase of 168.4% compared to the previous year: "National health is national competitiveness"

*This content was translated by AI.

To comprehensively renovate aging public sports facilities nationwide, the government will significantly increase the related budget for 2027 to approximately 2.7 times the level of this year's budget.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry) announced on the morning of the 7th that it has allocated a budget of 255.8 billion won for the 2027 public sports facility renovation support project — an increase from 95.3 billion won this year to 160.5 billion won (a 168.4% rise). The plan focuses on renovating existing facilities rather than constructing new ones, aiming to allow citizens to quickly feel the effects of fiscal investment. Currently, about 70% of the nation's 10,753 public sports facilities (excluding temporary structures) are aging facilities that have been in use for over 10 years.

According to the Ministry, this project will be implemented centered on three key directions: strengthening safety, responding to climate change, and improving convenience and utilization rates. First, the national subsidy rate for facilities requiring urgent safety repairs will be raised from the current 50% to 70%. This measure aims to reduce the fiscal burden on local governments so that hazards can be removed swiftly. For outdoor facilities vulnerable to heatwaves, such as artificial turf soccer fields, support will be provided for installing temperature-reducing devices including sprinklers to ensure user safety.

Efforts will also be made to convert outdoor sports facilities into all-weather spaces usable year-round in response to extreme weather events like heatwaves and torrential rains. The plan includes supporting the installation of roof-type membrane structures on outdoor facilities such as tennis courts, basketball courts, and futsal fields to create environments where people can exercise regardless of weather conditions.

The sports viewing environment and utilization rates of large stadiums will also be significantly improved. In line with the era of 12 million professional baseball fans and 3 million professional soccer fans, support will be provided for replacing spectator seats and aging broadcasting equipment, while expanding convenience facilities tailored for women and families. Nationwide World Cup stadiums, primarily used for soccer matches, are planned to be redeveloped into multi-purpose cultural and sports spaces where large-scale performances and community sports activities can be held regularly.

The 2027 project application period will run from September to October, with final recipient selection to be confirmed in December following review by the selection committee.

Minister Choi Hwi-young stated, "We made bold investment decisions based on the perspective that national health is national competitiveness," and added, "We will push forward this project swiftly to ensure all citizens can maintain their health in safe and comfortable environments."

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*This content was translated by AI.