The Taereung Training Center is now recognized as the only comprehensive training center in Korea. As a sports arena for members of national sports teams and athletes participating international sports competitions, as well as for ordinary citizens, it is contributing to the popularization of sports in Korea.
The establishment of the Taereung Training Center was initiated by Min Gwan-sik, then president of the Korea Sports Council, with the goal of reinvigorating Korean sports following the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Located in Gongneung-dong, in Nowon-gu, Seoul, the Taereung Training Center started out as a few buildings for members of Korean sports teams, but was expanded into a large-scale sports facility on about 3.6 million square feet of land over the next 50 years. The training center laid the foundation upon which Korea raised its status in various international sports arenas. Preserving the historical and cultural values of Korean sports, the Taereung Training Center is a space where the traces of the dedication and hard work of countless national team members remain to this day. Since its opening, the training center has been recognized for its central role in the development of sports in Korea and selected as a “Future Heritage” of Seoul in December 2014. The restoration of a world heritage site that humanity is responsible for preserving and handing down to future generations and the preservation of the sports facilities that have served as the heart of Korean sports are two challenges that must be confronted and overcome by not only cultural and sports circles in Korea but all Korean citizens as well.