The boat racing, cutting through refreshing waters in a competitive ranking, will celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Korea's boat racing, which started on June 18, 2002.

The legacy of the 88 Seoul Olympics, Misa Boat Racing Park and the boat racing business

The beginning of Misa Boat Racing Park and Korean boat racing can be traced back to the construction of a rowing stadium in Hanam Misa for the 86 Asian Games and the 88 Seoul Olympics (construction began on September 5, 1984, and was completed on June 10, 1986).

After successfully hosting the Seoul Olympics, which received global acclaim as the best Olympics ever, the Seoul Olympic Memorial National Sports Promotion Corporation (Chairman Ha Hyeong-joo) took charge of maintaining and managing the rowing stadium established on a vast area of 1.3 million square meters, and opened Misa Boat Racing Park in June 1995 by creating walking paths, bicycle roads, and other facilities.

However, the utilization of the rowing lake within the park was low, and while there was some revenue from park operations, it was insufficient to maintain and manage the park sustainably. A new solution was needed, and the answer was the boat racing business.

The Seoul Olympic Memorial National Sports Promotion Corporation began laying out plans for the boat racing business with the establishment of the boat racing team in 1998. Two years after breaking ground for the boat racing facility in 2000, the first race took place on June 18, 2002, and it will celebrate its 23rd anniversary on June 18 this year. Even after 23 years, boat racing continues to actively utilize the Olympic facilities, allowing the public to enjoy healthy leisure and faithfully using the revenue for public purposes.

Boat racing, a public utility where all revenue is returned to society, is essential for operating Misa Boat Racing Park

Boat racing is not merely a profit-seeking enterprise but a public utility that generates public resources and expands local government finance according to the laws of racing. Over the past 23 years, it has returned all revenue, except for 72% of refunds and athlete prizes and operational expenses, back to society.

The scale of social return amounts to a cumulative total of 2.2981 trillion won, including taxes and legal allocation fees, with tax revenues such as leisure tax totaling 2.1055 trillion won and legal allocations amounting to 192.6 billion won. Of this, the 192.6 billion won in legal allocations was distributed to the National Sports Promotion Fund, Young-Generation Fostering Fund, Small and Medium Enterprises Startup and Promotion Fund, local government finance support, and Cultural and Arts Promotion Fund. The largest proportion of the distribution, the National Sports Promotion Fund, supports various areas such as community sports, professional sports, international sports, and sports industry development, playing a crucial role in elevating Korea as a sporting powerhouse.

In addition, among operational expenses, 6.6 billion won was also donated to support a society that lives together.

Meanwhile, the boat racing business remains essential to the operation of Misa Boat Racing Park. Misa Boat Racing Park is a representative resting place for citizens in southeastern metropolitan area, and the number of visitors has been increasing, with about 2.35 million visiting last year. However, the costs required for operation and management are also on the rise with the number of visitors. Essential expenses for park operation and management (excluding boat racing operating expenses) amount to 5 billion won annually, and most of these expenses are covered through the boat racing business. Therefore, the boat racing business can be regarded as an indispensable enterprise for operating Misa Boat Racing Park.

Misa Boat Racing Park, a sanctuary for sports on weekdays, and a leisure space for citizens on weekends

On weekdays, Misa Boat Racing Park serves as a sanctuary for professional and community sports, and on weekends, it functions as a space for sports, culture, and leisure for citizens.

Boat races are held on Wednesdays and Thursdays, while the marathon, canoe, and fencing teams operated by the Seoul Olympic Memorial National Sports Promotion Corporation are focused on training utilizing the facilities at Misa Boat Racing Park.

Moreover, Misa Boat Racing Park continues to be used for training and competitions by sports organizations according to its original purpose, even after the conclusion of international events such as the Asian Games and the Olympics, being used for 51 training and competitions over the past three years, including national canoe competitions, Hanam City rowing association competitions, and national disabled rowing competitions.

On weekends, Misa Boat Racing Park completely transforms into a leisure space for citizens. Although boat racing only takes place on Wednesdays and Thursdays in a small area that accounts for a little over 15% of the park, leaving ample space for relaxation on weekdays, the weekend is entirely dedicated to serving the residents of Hanam City and metropolitan citizens. Sports facilities such as foot volleyball courts, large stadiums, soccer fields, and grass lawns are provided, and various citizen participation sports events, including walking contests and marathons, are held along the circular road created beside the rowing lake.

Citizens can also enjoy nature in the urban environment, as children in Hanam City experience forest classrooms utilizing the dense forests of Misa Boat Racing Park, and particularly in spring, the clusters of double cherry blossoms that are rare to see in the metropolitan area attract the attention of springtime visitors.

What are the significant records in the 23-year history of boat racing?

Over the past 23 years, boat racing has been held a total of 1,949 days (as of the end of May), and 43.63 million people (cumulative, including points) have watched the races. A total of 273 athletes have participated, with 143 (114 men and 29 women) currently active.

Among the athletes connected through boat racing, there are 6 couples who compete as couples: Lee Tae-hee-Lee Joo-young, Park Seol-hee-Sim Sang-cheol, Park Jun-ho-Lim Tae-gyeong, Jeon Jeong-hwan-Kim Ji-young, Ko Jeong-hwan-Lee Ji-eun, and Kim Eun-ji-Lee Hwi-dong, along with brother athletes Kim Min-cheon-Kim Min-gil and Jo Kyu-tae-Jo Seung-min. Last year, father-daughter athletes also emerged for the first time, with Lee Yong-se- Lee Hyun-ji being the main characters.

Among the athlete records, the most noteworthy achievement is the 500 career wins set by Kim Jong-min, Sim Sang-cheol, and Eo Seon-kyu. Kim Jong-min achieved this record in 2022, while Sim Sang-cheol and Eo Seon-kyu reached it in April and May of this year, respectively, with Sim Sang-cheol being the fastest to reach 500 wins.

Additionally, Sim Sang-cheol broke the record for the most wins in a season last year, with Kim Min-jun becoming the first to surpass 50 wins, but Sim Sang-cheol recorded 52 wins at the end.

The record for the most consecutive wins is 14 set by WOOJIN in 2006, while the greatest winner of the grand prize boat racing, the highest tournament, is Bae Hye-min and Gil Hyun-tae (each with 3 wins). Bae Hye-min achieved three consecutive victories from 2010 to 2012, making her the greatest winner of consecutive victories in the grand prize.

A representative from the General Headquarters of Racing stated, "Boat racing will celebrate its 23rd birthday on the 18th. I sincerely thank all those who have been supportive and encouraging throughout this time,” adding, “We will continue to strive to fulfill public objectives such as revitalizing water sports, creating a healthy leisure culture, and generating public funds through the boat racing business. Additionally, we will carefully monitor to ensure that citizens can visit Misa Boat Racing Park with peace of mind."

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