A Day At The Horse Races in Seoul
Looking to head to the horse races in Korea? Well, you can. One of only two parks in Korea for thoroughbred flat races, the Seoul Lets Run Park (๋ ์ธ ๋ฐํํฌ์์ธ) in Gwacheon is huge and really takes the cake for a place offering a different kind of fun day out. Head just south of Seoul to Gwacheon, Korea and you can enjoy the Seoul horse races at this family-friendly venue.ย
Experience the horse races in Korea:
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How To Get There
Address: 107 Gyeongmagongwon-daero Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do (๊ฒฝ๊ธฐ๋ ๊ณผ์ฒ์ ๊ฒฝ๋ง๊ณต์๋๋ก 107 (์ฃผ์๋))
Directions: Seoul Racecourse Park Subway Station, exit 2. Turn left out of the station and you can’t miss the entrance.
Basic Info
Hours: Admission begins from 9:00am BUT racing hours are 10:40am ~ 6:00pm
Admission: Non-racing day: free; Racing day: W2,000*
*free for the handicapped, seniors over 65 and minors
Races: 11-13 races per day
Bets: W100 ~W100,000 limit
Betting Types: Win, Place, Quinella, Quinella-Place, Exacta
Amenities: parking (M-F: free; Sat. & Sun.: W12,000 per day), restrooms, VIP rooms, concessions and food
Website: Let’s Run Park
The History of Horse Racing In Korea
In the 1920s ‘modern’ horse racing complete with a betting system made its debut on the peninsula. By 1922, the Chosun Racing Club became the first-ever authorized horse racing club and that opened the door for more. The Sinseol-dong racecourse opened in 1928 and any incorporated racing clubs were then allowed to have their own racecourses. Due to a decree by the Japanese in 1933, only incorporated racing clubs were entitled to conduct horse racing so the Chosun Horse Racing Authority, later called the Korea Racing Authority, was established to ensure consistency in the administration across the courses.
However, during the Korean War, horse racing came to a complete standstill as horse racing venues were taken over by the military for training. Due to this, the Korea Racing Authority struck a deal to construct a racecourse in Ttuksom which was completed in 1954. This racecourse was later relocated to Gwacheon in 1989 and that’s where we got to take part in Korean horse racing.
What To Do
Today, you can visit the Gwacheon Race Track or find the other thoroughbred racecourse in Busan. The race track, originally constructed for the 1988 Summer Olympics, is equipped with two sand tracks with a 450 meter long home stretch and when those horses turn the bend, the crowds really get their yelling on.
Two grandstands, one called Happy Ville and one called Lucky Ville, accommodate 35,000 and 42,000 people respectively which means those whoops and hollers can come together for one immensely loud and raucous good time. The Busan track opened in 2005 and with the growth of Korean racing, the Asian Racing Conference designated South Korea as the host of the 30th Asian Racing Conference in 2005.
Two stables on the grounds house 1,500 horses and there is also a trainer’s village and a jockey’s village too. In the center of the race track is also a family friendly horse-themed park called “Whinny World” perfect for the little ones they’ve said will open at the end of September. The theme park features 10 village sections, 39 venues, and 25 activities great for the whole family.ย
The grandstands are full of betting experts studying the odds but there are separate locations for the crowd just looking for a fun day at the races. A foreigners lounge in which all staff can help in English is available on the 5th floor of Lucky Ville and for an additional W10,000 entrance fee it offers a panoramic racecourse view, dedicated English, Chinese and Japanese speaking staff and complimentary coffee and juice with beer for purchase.
The NOL Lounge on the first floor of Happy Ville is a hall offering some different fun to be had at the races. A play zone for children, a smart betting zone, a secret tour and a street food zone keep this area a bit more family or couple friendly and doesn’t seem to be crowded with super serious bettors.
The Korea Racing Association which had previously invited me to their brand new off track betting lounge in the Sheraton Grand Walkerhill some months ago invited me to see the horses in person in order to get the word about the Korea Cup this weekend! On September 11, 2016, the KRA will host the Korea Cup at the Let’s Run Park in Gwacheon with seven countries in attendance including: England, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore, Japan, France and the Arab Emirates.
Along with the racing and betting fun this upcoming weekend, the Delicious Global Food Festival will also be held to entice the taste buds. I have to say that the best part about a day at the races was the roar of the crowds as the horse came around the bend and entered that home stretch. It was intense even though I was only betting W1,000 per bet. I made off with W3,200 by night’s end. Go me!
If you head down and want to do a bit more with your day, visit to the nearby Seoul Land and Seoul Zoo. There a ton of family friendly and educational programs and cultural activities and Seoul Zoo is the largest zoo in the country.
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2 Comments
Lisa (Klipdrifters)
I’ve only ever been to horse racing once in South Africa. Glad you managed to win some money ๐ Beautiful horses and great pictures.
Amanda Williams
You have provided a really thorough review of your experience at Seoul Lets Run Park. There are some beautiful horses pictured too. I particularly like the dappled grey horse in the first picture. What a beauty! But they are all lovely.