Korea Football Park Opens as New Home for Korean Football Development

Korea Football Park, set to become a new growth engine for Korean football alongside the Paju National Football Center (Paju NFC), has begun full-scale operations. The Korea Football Association (KFA) held an official opening ceremony at 2 p.m. on the 7th at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. Attendees included KFA President Chung Mong-gyu, Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Dae-hyun, Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) President Yoo Seung-min, and K League Commissioner Kwon Oh-gap. Local government officials including South Chungcheong Province Governor Kim Tae-heum and Cheonan Acting Mayor Kim Seok-pil also attended to celebrate the opening. Jointly built by the KFA and Cheonan City, Korea Football Park is a multi-purpose complex spanning approximately 145,000 pyeong (about 479,000 square meters) with a total construction cost of approximately 400 billion won ($290 million). The facility comprises 11 football pitches including a small stadium and an indoor pitch, four futsal courts, and five tennis courts. Korea Football Park began operating its stadium, accommodation buildings, training grounds, and indoor football pitch in the fall of 2025. With all facilities now fully equipped, the official opening ceremony was held. At the ceremony, KFA President Chung said, "The newly opened Korea Football Park will become a core hub for Korean football where all football industry professionals — players, coaches, and administrators — can research and grow." He added, "We will open a new horizon for Korean football through a Korean-style development model built on artificial intelligence and scientific research at this facility." South Chungcheong Province Governor Kim Tae-heum, who introduced himself as honorary club owner of K League 2's Chungnam Asan FC, said, "The region and the KFA have worked closely as one team to make Cheonan a new mecca for Korean football." He added, "Through Korea Football Park, we will host various competitions and drive regional development by attracting players and fans to Cheonan for accommodation, dining, and tourism." FIFA President Gianni Infantino sent congratulations via video message. "I expect Korea Football Park to play an important role in the development of Korean football going forward. Korean football has shown an exemplary case of how investment leads to progress," he said. Second Vice Minister Kim Dae-hyun of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said, "I hope young football players will dream of becoming future national team members at Korea Football Park." KSOC President Yoo said, "I look forward to Korea Football Park becoming a symbolic space connecting the present and future of Korean football, where player training and matches, the growth of coaches and administrators, and a vibrant football culture shared by fans and the public can all flourish." Following the congratulatory speeches, KFA Performance Enhancement Team Leader Kim Ji-hun and External Cooperation Manager Park Eun-ji delivered a presentation titled "Drawing Tomorrow's Korean Football Together." They explained, "We will chart a new future for Korean football at Korea Football Park, which offers optimal accessibility — reachable from anywhere in the country within about two hours." They added, "We will develop the facility into three functional spaces for Korean football innovation: Landmark, Campus, and Playground." Landmark refers to a space where mid- to long-term plans for strengthening national team competitiveness are put into practice. Campus is where diverse professional groups — coaches, referees, analysts, and physical trainers — are educated and developed. Playground is a space where fans and the local community connect through football culture. The KFA plans to maximize operational capacity by utilizing Korea Football Park for multiple purposes, including hosting international competitions at various levels, team training, youth tournaments, coach and referee instructor seminars, and parent academies. Following the ceremony, a commemorative match was held — the Korea Football Park U-18 Champions Cup final between FC Seoul U-18 (Seoul Osan High School), winners of the Baekun Cup National High School Football Tournament, and Jeonbuk Hyundai U-18 (Jeonju Yeongsaeng High School), winners of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Cup National High School Football Tournament.

Korea Football Park Opens as New Home for Korean Football Development

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