Korea's marathon participants surpass 1 million as gov't eyes stricter safety measures
Published: 10 Oct. 2025, 09:27
![Participants in a marathon held in Chuncheon, Gangwon, are seen on Oct. 3. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/10/16b1108f-5b5d-4aa2-9430-44139c594122.jpg)
Participants in a marathon held in Chuncheon, Gangwon, are seen on Oct. 3. [YONHAP]
The number of marathon participants in Korea surpassed one million last year, but safety management systems remain inadequate, according to new data.
A total of 254 marathon events were held nationwide in 2024, with combined participation reaching 1,008,122, based on figures submitted by the National Police Agency, according to data from Rep. Park Jeong-ha of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee revealed Friday.
The number of marathon events has steadily increased, from just 19 in 2020 to 49 in 2021, 142 in 2022 and 205 in 2023.
Participant numbers have also surged annually, rising from 9,030 in 2020 to 30,611 in 2021, 329,482 in 2022 and 737,681 in 2023.
Of the marathons held from 2020 through September this year — a span of four years and nine months — 507 had over 1,000 participants, accounting for 63 percent of all events.
A total of 179 accidents were reported at marathons during the same period, with 72 of those occurring in 2024 — the highest annual figure on record.
Despite the growing scale of these events, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism — the lead agency responsible for the sector — admitted it has not been monitoring the safety conditions of large-scale marathons.
“While organizers of sports events involving more than 1,000 participants are required to establish a safety management plan, there is no mandate to submit such plans, so we do not hold related data,” the ministry said in response to inquiries from Rep. Park’s office. “We are also not in a position to detect violations of safety measures.”
Under the National Sports Promotion Act revised after the Itaewon crowd crush on Oct. 29, 2022, organizers of sporting events with over 1,000 attendees are required to create a safety plan. However, the law lacks provisions mandating submission or penalties for noncompliance, leading critics to argue that oversight is essentially nonexistent.
“Systematic safety management is essential as marathons become increasingly popular as a form of public recreational sports,” Park said. “The Culture Ministry must take a proactive approach to prevent accidents, not just respond to them afterward."
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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