Governor Wi Seong-gon renews call for KRA headquarters to relocate to Jeju, proposes expanding equine-assisted therapy

【Financial News, Jeju = Jung Yong-bok】 Jeju Governor Wi Seong-gon met again with KRA Chairman Woo Hee-jong in Jeju and called for KRA headquarters to relocate there. The meeting came 23 days after he submitted an official proposal on the 1st. He also proposed expanding the horse industry, now centered on horse racing and riding, into the field of therapy.
According to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province on the 25th, Governor Wi attended the 21st Jeju Horse Festival, held the previous day at LetsRun Park Jeju in Aewol-eup, Jeju City, and reaffirmed the province’s commitment to bringing KRA headquarters to Jeju.
At a welcoming event attended by key figures including KRA Chairman Woo Hee-jong, Governor Wi said he hoped KRA headquarters would relocate to Jeju in conjunction with the government’s second round of public institution relocations to regional areas. At the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Governor’s Cup stakes race awards ceremony, he identified the therapy industry as a new area for growth in the horse industry.
The effort to bring KRA headquarters to Jeju is a major priority for the province as it responds this year to the relocation of public institutions to regional areas. Earlier, on the 1st, Governor Wi visited KRA headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, with Jeju Provincial Council Speaker Song Young-houn and presented Chairman Woo with a proposal to relocate to Jeju.

At the time, Jeju Province cited its industrial infrastructure, including concentrations of horse breeding and rearing operations and horse-racing facilities, as grounds for the relocation. The proposal also outlined settlement support measures, including securing temporary office space and land needed for the move, as well as housing and education support for employees’ families.
KRA operates horse racing in South Korea and is also the agency tasked with promoting the horse industry under the Horse Industry Promotion Act. Jeju Province says placing the headquarters of an agency that supports horse production sites and related industries in the same region would strengthen policy implementation and links with the industry.
Jeju’s case rests on having the country’s largest horse-breeding base. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ 2025 Survey on the Horse Industry, 14,876 of the 27,165 horses raised nationwide are in Jeju, accounting for 54.8%.
Jeju also continues to rank among the top nationwide for the performance of its horse-industry special zone. In the ministry’s 2026 Evaluation of the Implementation of Horse-Industry Special Zone Development Plans, announced on the 14th, Jeju Province ranked first among the country’s four special zones. It was the province’s 12th consecutive year in first place.

The evaluation comprehensively assessed the previous year’s progress in implementing special-zone development plans, the zones’ role as nationwide horse-industry hubs and budget execution rates, among other factors. Jeju Province secured 300 million won in national funding as an incentive for its 2027 special-zone development project.
Separately from its effort to bring KRA to Jeju, Governor Wi also outlined a policy direction to expand the areas in which Jeju’s horse industry is used.
Governor Wi stressed that “Jeju is a horse-industry special zone where horses are bred and raised, and horse racing takes place,” adding, “Going forward, we will expand the industry to include helping people heal emotionally through horses.”
Equine-assisted therapy supports psychological and emotional well-being through activities such as interaction between people and horses and horseback riding. It serves demand for services different from those of the existing horse-racing and riding industries.

This year’s Jeju Horse Festival, themed “The Lives of Jeju Residents Alongside Jeju Horses,” was held at LetsRun Park Jeju on the 24th and 25th. It was jointly hosted by Jeju Province and KRA and organized by KRA’s Jeju Regional Headquarters.
On the 24th, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Governor’s Cup stakes race was held, with 10 Jeju horses competing for a total purse of 150 million won. Governor Wi presented awards to the winning owner, jockey and trainer.
Attendees including Governor Wi and Chairman Woo laid flowers at a statue of Reckless, the warhorse deployed to transport military supplies during the Korean War. Reckless is known as a horse who served alongside the U.S. Marine Corps during the war, carrying ammunition and supplies.
Exhibitions and hands-on programs introducing the history and culture of Jeju horses were also offered during the festival. However, some programs, including the Reckless Hero Run and a commemorative concert, were canceled due to bad weather.


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