Inje-gun in Gangwon Province is drawing attention as a premier summer destination for sports training camps and athletic events, buoyed by the cool air flowing off the Baekdudaegan mountain range.
The valleys around Baekdamsa Temple, the Hangye Fortress ruins and the birch forest of Wondae-ri all carry a refreshing chill even in the height of summer.
The county has lined up more than 10 national and provincial sports competitions alongside national team and youth training camps throughout July.
According to Inje-gun, a string of competitions spanning recreational, professional and para sports — including dance sport, gateball, hankung, kendo, volleyball and tennis — have run in succession since early July.
From early July through Thursday, roughly 3,200 athletes, officials and family members have visited the county's main sports venues, including Inje Gymnasium, Nammyeon Stadium, Inje Multi-Purpose Gymnasium and Inje Tennis Courts.
On top of that, domestic and international teams — among them the Under-17 women's volleyball future national team, the women's sitting volleyball national team and a Mongolian volleyball club — have sharpened their skills at the Inje Training Center, which is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, further cementing the county's reputation as a go-to summer training destination.
The sporting momentum in Inje-gun is set to intensify as July draws to a close.
The 2026 Haenullaeirin Inje Youth Soccer Festival, drawing more than 800 athletes, will be held on the natural-grass pitch and at Nammyeon Sports Park from Friday through July 30.
Starting Saturday and running through Aug. 2, the fourth Haenullaeirin Inje National Little Baseball Tournament will get under way at Inje Baseball Stadium, with more than 1,300 young players taking part over nine days.
Also from Tuesday through Aug. 1, the 2026 Summer Haenullaeirin Inje National Kendo League will bring together roughly 500 competitors.
With large contingents of athletes, parents and officials staying in the county for days at a time, local hotels, restaurants, traditional markets and tourist sites are seeing a sharp rise in visitors, giving a significant boost to the local economy during the summer season.
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