Jung Kwang-yeol, a preliminary candidate for mayor of Chuncheon, announced a "Sports and Leisure Industry City Strategy" on Sunday that aims to link the city's sports infrastructure to the local economy.
Jung assessed that while facilities such as Songam Sports Town, Hoban Gymnasium and Bomnae Gymnasium are sufficient, the city lacks a revenue-generating structure. He pointed out that Hwacheon is boosting its local economy through park golf and Yanggu through sports competitions, while Chuncheon is failing to leverage its superior conditions.
The core of the strategy is a virtuous cycle of "visit → consumption → stay → revisit → industry." The plan connects Songam Sports Town, waterfront spaces and the downtown commercial district as a single network starting from Chuncheon Station.
"I will build a tightly woven structure where the very process of people moving within the city directly leads to consumption," Jung said.
To achieve this, he will first establish a dedicated sports and leisure organization. The plan calls for shifting from facility management to sports marketing and revenue generation, with performance measured by visitor numbers, spending and revisit rates.
Jung also plans to transform Songam Sports Town into a "365-day revenue base" by combining tournaments, pre-season training camps, experiential sports and nighttime programs so the venue operates even on days without matches. He additionally announced plans to expand water-based leisure activities centered on Gongjicheon Stream, Uiam Lake and the Soyang River, strengthening the revenue structure through experience programs such as kayaking, paddleboarding and rowing, as well as paid competitions.
He also proposed converting recreational sports into a consumption-driven model by attracting visitors in their 40s and 50s and family groups through running, cycling, pickleball and park golf.
Beyond these measures, Jung outlined plans to develop Chuncheon as a testbed to attract sports and leisure companies in areas including equipment, content, education and health wellness.
Jung said he would prioritize executing a model linking Songam Sports Town, Gangwon FC and the downtown commercial district within the first year of taking office. He plans to then expand waterfront leisure and pursue corporate attraction in phases.
"Chuncheon is a city that already has the right conditions," Jung said. "If we change the structure rather than the facilities, the economy will surely revive." He added, "I will transform Chuncheon from a city people visit into a city they come back to."
