| Title | Cheongju Marches Toward a Healthier City, by Activating Community Sports |
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| Writer | Cheongju |
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Cheongju marches toward a healthier city, by activating community sports
- Expansion of sports class vouchers and community sports classes, providing opportunities for diverse sports activities - Operation of customized fitness certification centers to enhance citizens' physical fitness, and establishment of a sports club support ordinance Cheongju announced on February 26 that it is actively promoting community sports in 2024 to ensure that everyone can easily participate in sports activities as part of their daily lives. This year, the city aims to expand the sports class voucher support project to aid vulnerable groups in engaging in healthy sports activities. The project provides subsidies for sports classes for children and teenagers (ages 5–18) from low-income families and people with disabilities who wish to participate in sports activities but are hindered by economic circumstances. The subsidy for children and teenagers (ages 5–18) to attend sports classes is KRW 100,000 per month, and the subsidy for people with disabilities (ages 5–69) is KRW 110,000 per month. The amount of subsidy has been increased from KRW 95,000 per month in 2023, and the eligibility for the disabled sports class voucher has been expanded from ages 19–64 to 5–69. In 2024, approximately 2,200 individuals, an increase of approximately 500 from the previous year, were selected to receive support through the sports class voucher, with plans to select an additional 100 low-income children and teenagers in a supplemental recruitment in March. Currently, there are 510 sports class voucher affiliate facilities in operation, and the city plans to secure and continuously manage more diverse types of affiliate facilities to provide various sports opportunities for vulnerable groups. The community sports class project, which supports sports instructors according to the needs of participants, is growing in popularity every year. Members of a group of 20 or more can receive free lessons from professional instructors at a convenient time and location, making it easy to access various community sports such as aerobics, yoga, and table tennis. In January 2024, 73 community sports classes across 23 sports were selected, with operations set to begin in earnest from March. This is an increase of 5 classes across 3 sports compared to early last year. Notably, this year, the instructor’s allowance has been raised to KRW 30,000 per hour to focus on operating higher-quality programs. Moreover, Cheongju is aiding citizens in enhancing their physical fitness through the fitness certification center. The fitness certification center of Cheongju, located in Sajik-dong, which ranked first nationwide in the 2023 Physical Fitness Class category organized by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, will conduct physical fitness measurements for toddlers this year. Toddlers 48–83 months of age are assessed for cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, agility, and coordination, and prescribed exercises accordingly. Group measurements can also be arranged for local kindergartens and daycare centers by making an advance reservation by calling +82-43-267-7330. For busy adults, Saturday and weekday evening physical fitness measurements are also available. Reservations can be made through the National Fitness Award website (nfa.kspo.or.kr). The disabled fitness certification center located in Sacheon-dong, Cheongwon-gu, is the first in Chungbuk to support customized physical fitness measurements and exercise prescriptions for people with disabilities. Selected for the competitive grant program of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the center has completed the purchase of customized physical fitness measurement equipment and the hiring of professional staff (exercise prescription specialists and physical fitness measurers), and plans to operate physical fitness enhancement classes considering the type and age of disabilities from 2024. In addition, Cheongju is enacting the Ordinance on the Cultivation and Support of Sports Clubs in Cheongju to promote community sports and enhance the health and physical fitness of its citizens. This ordinance reflects the duties and contents specified in the Sports Club Act by the national and local governments, aiming to actively encourage and support the growing sports club activities. Meanwhile, the Daecheongho Marathon, which saw participation from over 6,000 marathoners nationwide last year, is scheduled to take place on September 28 this year at the Daechung Lake in Cheongju as the Cheongwon Saengmyeong Rice Daecheongho Marathon in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the unified Cheongju. In March, citizens will also participate in the Cherry Blossom Marathon held in Kikuchi, Japan, to promote community sports and expand cultural exchanges with Japan. A city official of Cheongju said, "As we enter the endemic era, we anticipate large-scale participation in various community sports events and will ensure thorough preparation with safety management plans and inspections. We will continue to work closely with related organizations and listen to the opinions of our citizens to ensure that all residents of Cheongju can lead healthy and happy lives through the promotion of community sports." |
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