Gwangju celebrates 200 Days to Go Mark

GWANGJU – On 3 July, 2015 the eyes of the world will be on Korea as the Summer Universiade will begin in Gwangju. The Mayor of Gwangju and President of the Gwangju 2015 Universiade Organizing Committee (GUOC) Yoon Jang-hyun celebrated the 200-day milestone with the GUOC staff members.

In Gwangju City Hall, Mayor Yoon Jang-hyun held a press conference for the 200 days to-go mark on 15 December. The room was filled with anticipation and achievement of how far the GUOC has come. Mayor Yoon said, “There is still much work to be done. However, I am confident that Gwangju will become a new model for efficient sporting events and hope to have the youth around the world take over the city.”

Gwangju Mayor Yoon Jang-hyun talking with the GUOC staff

Limiting the Universiade costs became a priority to Gwangju. The city’s official budget for the Universiade was even cut back by 11.1 billion won for the 2015 fiscal year (approximately 10 million USD). Gwangju’s cost-cutting meant fewer new venues than previous host cities built and greater use of temporary or already constructed facilities to stage competitions. As a result the GUOC has been known throughout Korea as a prime example of how to minimize costs while maximizing the benefits.

Gwangju is aware of the need to keep costs down in these economic times because the public is very sensitive of taking money away from the social welfare network. Mayor Yoon mentioned, “It is not impossible to host a successful international sporting event without burdening the city’s welfare. I am confident that Gwangju will set new standards for organizing economic sporting events.”

The GUOC is working closely with the local governments and communities for not only sporting competitions but also cultural events. Gwangju is aiming to keep the flame of festivities and energy even after the Universiade.   

As the Asian Culture Complex (ACC) and Honam KTX (Korea Train Express) is near its completion, the year of 2015 will be a turning point for Gwangju to become a world-class city.

Construction site of the new Gwangju Women’s University Universiade Gymnasium

GUOC President and Gwangju Mayor Yoon Jang-hyun visited the headquarters to celebrate the 200-day milestone and motivate the staff members for the next stage of preparation.

The GUOC is now making the transition from the planning phase to operational readiness. The Venue Operation Plan (VOP), which is an operating manual for games-time, is under revision and includes operation plans for 41 competition areas and 31 non-competition areas. In order to prevent or control unexpected situations which might occur during the event, the GUOC has conducted on-site simulations every two weeks to improve the VOP since November. The GUOC will continue to update the VOP as the games-time gets closer and produce a final version by the end of 2014. Once the VOP is finalized, preparation for test events will be underway.

Count Down Clock of the Gwangju UniversiadeTest events provide the opportunity to exercise all operational procedures and to identify and resolve problems during games-time. The GUOC has held a comprehensive series of test events which include volleyball, baseball, judo, football, and handball. Gwangju will host 16 more test events starting from March to June 2015.

Only 3 out of 70 venues will be newly built. The existing venues and facilities will be refurbished to meet the international sporting standards. 80% of the entire construction program is complete and right on track for the test events starting in March.

As the Opening Ceremony of the Universiade Gwangju 2015 is approaching, the interaction between the GUOC and delegations are becoming more frequent and significant. Therefore, the GUOC is also gearing towards delegation services during the transition between the planning phase and operational readiness phase.

Over the next seven months, Gwangju will be focused on delivering the most exciting sporting and cultural event ever to come Korea. The GUOC is already laying the groundwork for a lasting legacy so the youth around the world can fully embrace true sportsmanship and give their all at the Universiade Gwangju 2015.

(Source: GUOC 2015)