Public Officials Benefit Association Climbs 400 Meters Up Pyeongchang Ski Jump

[Financial News] The Public Officials Benefit Association (POBA) has broadened the scope of member welfare through an event held at a ski-jumping facility in Pyeongchang County, Gangwon State. The association is moving beyond the traditional model of returning asset-management gains to members through dividends and is expanding its engagement with them through lifestyle-oriented programs covering health and leisure, industry observers say.
According to the investment banking (IB) industry on the 6th, POBA operated an unusual sports experience program called ‘Red Bull 400 X POBA’ for 200 members and their companions. The program was held in conjunction with the Red Bull 400 extreme running competition at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre in Pyeongchang County, Gangwon State, on September 5.
Red Bull 400 is an extreme race that began in Austria in 2011. Participants climb a ski-jump ramp with a maximum incline of 38 degrees, covering a total distance of 400 meters to reach the finish line 140 meters above the starting point. Although the distance is only about one lap of a track, the nearly vertical slope has earned it the reputation of being the world’s shortest and toughest 400 meters. Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre is a legacy facility of the 2018 Winter Olympics (PyeongChang 2018) and is effectively the only venue in South Korea capable of hosting the event.
The program was designed to give members an unusual sports experience and an opportunity to take on a challenge. POBA continued its relationship with Red Bull through this collaboration, following Red Bull’s participation as a partner in the 2025 ‘Steel Civil Servants Run Festa in Boeun, North Chungcheong Province.’
Participants climbed the ski-jump ramp themselves, testing their physical strength and limits, while encouraging one another and sharing the joy of completing the course. A booth exclusively for POBA members was set up at the venue, along with side events such as commemorative gifts and a lucky draw. POBA explained that the event differed from marathon competitions centered on record-setting because it placed greater value on the challenge itself than on whether participants completed the course.
POBA’s move is linked to a shift in its welfare model. The association, whose members include local government officials and local council members, has traditionally designed member services around interest rates on retirement benefit contributions, lending programs, and the operation of recreational facilities. More recently, it has added health management and experiential programs, shifting its focus toward a structure that supports members throughout their lives. Given the long tenure and low attrition typical of public-sector organizations, the approach appears to be based on the judgment that nonfinancial welfare benefits, which strengthen emotional ties in addition to providing monetary benefits, can effectively increase organizational loyalty.
A POBA official said, "This program was designed to support members’ health and healthy leisure activities," adding, "We plan to continue the ‘POBA RUN series’ every year by expanding cooperation with local governments, and we are preparing for the ‘POBA Night Run in Sejong,’ scheduled for November."
The ‘POBA Night Run in Sejong,’ scheduled for November, has been designed as a nighttime running event. The plan is to create a venue in Sejong City, a symbol of the administrative hub, where central and local government officials can come together. The event’s schedule has also been adjusted to allow participation after work, taking into account the work-related constraints faced by public officials during the daytime.


[email protected] Kang Gu-gwi Reporter