< The best competition composed of 986 games with participation of 462 teams from 171 schools > 400,000 people visit annually, which is a huge ripple effect to local economy expected
Gyeongju-si, the city of history, culture and tour, received an evaluation that the city raised the status as a city of soccer by completing the Hwarangdaegi national elementary school youth soccer competition, a big soccer festival for youth held in millenary capital, Gyeongju for 12 days, in a great success after finishing the final games of each group for U-12 on August 13.

After the opening ceremony on last August 2, 2013, 462 teams (including 10 international team) from 171 elementary school participated in this competition and had 986 games with the honor of the school at the civic stadium and 8 other places.
The winners of U-12 competition are: Gyeongsangnam-do Masan Hapseong Elementary School from Group A, Gyeonggi-do Neunggok Elementary School from Group B, Gyeongsangbuk-do Pohang Jecheol Domg Elementary School from Group C, Daegu Banyawol Elementary School from Group D, Chungcheongbuk-do Cheongnam Elementary School from Group E, and Gyeonggi-do Muwon Elementary School from Group F.

The winners of U-11 competition are: Gyeongsangbuk-do Checheolnam Elementary School from Group A, Gyeonggi-do Singok Elementary School from Group B, Jeollabuk-do Munhwa Elementary School from Group C, Seoul Daedong Elementary School from Group D, and Ulsan Samho Elementary School from Group E.

The winners of U-10 competition are: Seoul Daedong Elementary School from Group A, Gyeongsangbuk-do Pohang Jecheol Domg Elementary School from Group B, Jeollanam-do Suncheon Jungang Elementary School from Group C, Ulsan Hakseong Elementary School from Group D, and Chungcheongbuk-do Deokseong Elementary School from Group E.

A week before the competition, Gyeongju-si provided the training field, including soccer park, Alcheon Soccer Field, riverside of Seocheon and Dongguk University, so the players can adapt to the field during the competition and also play the game in the best condition. Also, spectators could support comfortably since shading and seats for disabled people were installed in all the fields of Alcheon Soccer Field and the 4 fields of the Soccer Park.
During the competition, various cultural activities were held, such as 'Gyeongju Art Center with Snows in August,' Bomun Outdoor Korean Classical Music Performance, performance on Bonghwangdae Music Square, Flower Festival on a Summer Night and performance on Bomun Floating Theater at Gyeongju Art Center, and Miso II: The Land of Gods and Flying Performance at EXPO Park, and provided various things to watch to the school parents, players and citizens.

Also, comedian Kim Jeongryeol was the MC for 'Joyful!!! Hwarangdaegi Pop Star Singer Contest,' which was a contest for the school parents and coaches, and provided a place with full of laughs of citizens, school parents and players.

Gyeongju-si was able to hold the competition successfully since there were many things to watch, made it assured for the hosting of the competition by supporting 171 participating elementary schools through setting up the sisterhood relationship by institutions and organizations, complemented the insufficiencies found during the competition in previous year, and improved complaints from players and cheering squads while using accommodations and restaurants. The city earned respect from officials of competitions, coaches and school parents by supporting the process of events smoothly.

Also, Gyeongju-si designated public official in charge of guidance for each participating team to reduce the inconveniences of school parent cheering squad, and 3,500 people, including competition operations personnel, volunteer worker, traffic control personnel, medical support, environmental maintenance and public official, were mobilized for players to concentrate on the game. As a result, the city received an evaluation that it had become the best sports festival.

Especially, the biggest national youth soccer competition has been being held during off-season for sightseeing for 10 years, and it is assumed that there was a huge ripple effect to the local economy since then about 400,000 people including players, school parents and cheering squad have visited.

Meanwhile, the reason for successful hosting of the biggest youth soccer competition in Korea is because that Gyeongju-si has excellent soccer fields for the competition and many accommodations, and the competition was sublimated into the best sports festival in Korea due to the voluntary service and also based on the knowhow obtained for the past 10 years--Gyeongju-si had a good evaluation from the players, executive members and school parents that Gyeongju is the optimal city for large-scale soccer competition permanently.