Regional Creation Nagasaki Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, President and Representative Director: Hideki Iwashita) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the "Foundation Suwon World Cup Stadium Management Foundation of Gyeonggi Province" of South Korea on June 29, 2026 (Mon).

This agreement marks the first time Nagasaki Stadium City has entered into a business agreement with an overseas foundation. In collaboration with the foundation, which operates the soccer stadium that was also a venue for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, we will work on sharing facility operation know-how and revitalizing the region through sports and culture.

Background of the MOU and Areas of Cooperation

Both parties conducted inspections and exchanged opinions on Nagasaki Stadium City by the Suwon World Cup Stadium Management Foundation of Gyeonggi Province twice, in October 2025 and March 2026. The dialogue progressed as the foundation expressed interest in the "everyday utilization" of facilities on non-match days and the operational methods of multifunctional complex facilities, leading to the signing of this agreement. Based on this agreement, we will promote initiatives in the following four areas.

【Areas of Cooperation】

1 Implementation of goodwill matches for Japan-Korea youth soccer and sports/cultural exchange

2 Promotion of exchange in sports and cultural activities and support for network formation among related organizations

3 Implementation of benchmarking for facility operation and business management, and promotion of staff exchange programs

4 Cooperation in the utilization of each other's basic facilities and joint participation in other necessary projects

Comments from Both Representatives

◆ Kim Hwa-jun, Secretary General of the Foundation Suwon World Cup Stadium Management Foundation of Gyeonggi Province

The Suwon World Cup Stadium is a symbolic space for South Korean soccer, conveying the excitement of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup to this day. Our foundation, the Suwon World Cup Stadium Management Foundation of Gyeonggi Province, is promoting various projects based on this space to foster sports and improve the cultural welfare of our provincial residents. From now on, we wish to share these experiences and values with everyone at Regional Creation Nagasaki and develop them into sports and cultural exchange between our two countries. We expect these initiatives to provide new experiences and growth opportunities for the generations who will carry the future.

Meanwhile, today's stadiums are evolving into complex hubs where culture, tourism, and industry converge, growing together with their local communities. Our foundation is also preparing for a new leap forward by promoting a technovalley development project that harmonizes employment, housing, sports, and culture, utilizing the idle land around the stadium. In this process, our foundation has been paying attention to the success story of Regional Creation Nagasaki, which has created a new landmark in Nagasaki through complex development centered around the stadium. We believe that this interest and empathy have led to today's meaningful business agreement.

We are confident that if we can mutually share the infrastructure and operational experience that both our organizations possess, this business agreement will not only be an exchange between a company and an institution but will also serve as an opportunity to build a new model of coexistence for sports and cultural exchange between our two countries and for the revitalization of our respective regions. In soccer, great goals always start with a wonderful assist. We look forward to building a partnership that leverages the strengths of both organizations to create opportunities together and turn those opportunities into tangible results.

◆ Hideki Iwashita, President and Representative Director, Regional Creation Nagasaki Co., Ltd.

I recognize the Suwon World Cup Stadium as a place where numerous dynamic histories and dramas have unfolded. The biggest difference between it and Nagasaki Stadium City is that we are "privately funded and privately operated." I expect that sharing information between both parties will open up new ideas.

While the Suwon World Cup Stadium is a dynamic stadium with a grand scale, we are very compact. However, we believe we have different strengths in terms of being multifunctional and usable on a daily basis. In that context, I heard that the foundation also has plans to transform it into a "town" centered around the stadium in the future, which I felt had a very high affinity with Nagasaki Stadium City. To establish it as a "town" and not just a facility, it requires not only profitability but also continuous refinement through ingenuity. I look forward to hearing valuable insights for us as we engage with the reforms the foundation will undertake.

It has been about two years since Nagasaki Stadium City opened, but we are currently not attracting enough international visitors. We expect future developments that will lead to many fans of Korean soccer, basketball, and entertainment visiting Nagasaki. We want to share our knowledge, cultivated as a private company, and our methods of collaboration with local governments and administrations, to the extent that it can be helpful, and connect it to mutual development.

Furthermore, including soccer and baseball, Japan-Korea matches are always passionate battles filled with spirit. While we fiercely compete on the pitch with the mindset of "absolutely not losing," once we step off it, we strongly wish for a future where the sports worlds of both countries can mutually respect each other and develop together. We would be fortunate if this collaboration could contribute even a little to such a future.

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  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: Partnership