The Korean National Sports Festival is an annual sports competition held in South Korea.
For a full week each October, about 20,000 athletes representing 16 cities and provinces throughout the country compete in about 40 separate sports. The site rotates among the major cities, including Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Incheon. The 2005 festival was held in Ulsan and the 2009 festival in Daejeon.
Competitions are held in High School, College, and Regular Divisions.
History The current annual numbering originates from the 1920 All-Korea Baseball Series and the formation of the Korean Sports Festival (). The Japanese colonial government held a multi-sport competition in 1925, but the Korean Sports Festival first became a national multi-sport competition in 1934, with baseball, soccer, tennis, track and field, and basketball.
In 1938, the Korean Sports Festival was forcibly dissolved by the colonial government. The festival, numbered 26th, resumed upon the 1945 liberation of Korea. With the establishment of South Korea in 1948, the event was renamed the "National Sports Festival," and individual competition was changed to competition among cities and provinces. The festival was cancelled in 1951, during the Korean War.
List of Korean National Sports Festivals Games Year Host Dates Competitors Sports Events Ref Total Men Women11920No Fixed Venue1121921No Fixed Venue31922No Fixed Venue41923No Fixed Venue51924No Fixed Venue61925No Fixed Venue71926No Fixed Venue81927No Fixed Venue91928No Fixed Venue101929No Fixed Venue111930No Fixed Venue121931No Fixed Venue131932No Fixed Venue141933No Fixed Venue151934GyeongseongNovember 2–5161935GyeongseongOctober 22–26171936GyeongseongSeptember181937GyeongseongSeptember19-251938–1944Discontinued261945SeoulOctober 27–30271946SeoulOctober 16–20281947SeoulOctober 13–19291948SeoulOctober 20–26301949SeoulOctober 15–23311950Not held due to Korean War321951GwangjuOctober 27–31331952SeoulOctober 18–24341953SeoulOctober 17–22351954SeoulOctober 19–25361955SeoulOctober 15–22371956SeoulOctober 3–9381957BusanOctober 18–24391958SeoulOctober 3–9401959SeoulOctober 3–9411960DaejeonOctober 10–16421961SeoulOctober 11–15431962DaeguOctober 24–29441963JeonjuOctober 4–9451964GyeonggiSeptember 3–8461965GwangjuOctober 5–10471966SeoulOctober 10–15481967SeoulOctober 5–10491968SeoulSeptember 12–17501969SeoulOctober 28-November 2511970SeoulOctober 6–11521971SeoulOctober 8–13531972SeoulOctober 6–11541973BusanOctober 12–17551974SeoulOctober 8–13561975DaeguOctober 7–12571976BusanOctober 12–17581977GwangjuOctober 10–15591978IncheonOctober 12–17601979ChungnamOctober 12–17611980JeonbukOctober 8–13621981SeoulOctober 10–15631982GyeongnamOctober 14–19641983IncheonOctober 6–11651984DaeguOctober 11–16661985GangwonOctober 10–15671986Seoul, Gyeonggi, BusanJune 20–25681987GwangjuOctober 13–18691988No Fixed VenueMay 9–22701989GyeonggiSeptember 26-October 1711990ChungbukOctober 15–21721991JeonbukOctober 7–13731992DaeguOctober 10–16741993GwangjuOctober 11–17751994DaejeonOctober 27-November 2761995GyeongbukOctober 2–8771996GangwonOctober 7–13781997GyeongnamOctober 8–14791998JejuSeptember 25-October 1801999IncheonOctober 11–17812000BusanOctober 12–18822001ChungnamOctober 10–16832002JejuNovember 9–15842003JeonbukOctober 10–16852004ChungbukOctober 8–14862005UlsanOctober 14–20872006GyeongbukOctober 17–23882007GwangjuOctober 8–14892008JeonnamOctober 10–16902009DaejeonOctober 20–26912010GyeongnamOctober 6–12922011GyeonggiOctober 6–12 932012DaeguOctober 11–17 942013IncheonOctober 18–24952014JejuOctober 28-November 3962015GangwonOctober 16–22972016ChungnamOctober 7–13982017ChungbukOctober 20–26992018JeonbukOctober 12–181002019SeoulOctober 4–101012020GyeongbukNot held due to COVID-19 pandemic1022021GyeongbukOctober 8–141032022UlsanOctober 7–131042023JeonnamOctober 13–19
Other national sports events Related annual national sports events include:
The National Winter Sports Festival The Children's National Sports Festival The National Sports Festival for the Handicapped
References
External links
Ministry of Culture & Tourism Summary of Previous Festivals History of the Festival