Gangneung tapped mecca of winter sports

By Baek Byung-yeul

The government announced Tuesday a plan to develop Gangneung, Gangwon Province, one of the host cities of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, into a winter sports hub after the Games.

At MVL Hotel in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism signed a memorandum of understanding with the Gangwon Provincial Government, the Gangneung City Government, the Korea Ice Hockey Association and Daemyung Holding on the post-management of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics hockey arena after the Games.

According to the agreement, the government will entrust management of the newly built Gangneung Hockey Center to Daemyung Holdings and the company will hold various ice sports-related events.

For the PyeongChang Olympics, the city of Gangneung will have two brand new ice rinks -- the Gangneung Hockey Center and the Gangneung Oval for speed skating events by the end of this year.

To make the city a Mecca of ice sports, the ministry said it will help national ice sports athletes train in Gangneung; host training camps for countries participating in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics; and support companies that establish professional and youth ice sports team based in the city.

After taking over the ice hockey rink, Daemyung Holdings will establish professional and youth ice hockey teams.

The Gangwon Provincial Government and the Gangneung City Government will provide elementary, middle and high school students in the region with ice sports lessons during physical education classes. The Korea Ice Hockey Association will also relocate its headquarters to Gangneung or establish a branch office there.

“With this agreement, the local governments will be able to reduce their financial risk and it is expected that the hockey rink will be efficiently managed by a private enterprise,” said Kim Chong, vice minister of culture, sports and tourism.

“Developing the city as a center for ice sports, in cooperation with the central and local government, the sports association and private sector can also bring sustainable development to the local community,” Kim said.