Final Cancellation Decision
The 18th National Marine Sports Festival was reported to have been officially canceled. On August 21, 2026, Geoje City announced its intention to cancel the event, citing damage from torrential rain and the status of recovery and safety measures, and said it was awaiting final approval from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The ministry was subsequently reported to have made the final cancellation decision on August 25.
The event was originally scheduled to take place from August 27 to 30, but it will no longer be held.
Original Schedule and Venue
The festival was scheduled to take place at the waterfront park at Jisepo Port in Irun-myeon, Geoje City, as well as in the Wahyeon and Gujora areas. Promotional materials from Geoje City and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee stated that marine sports events were planned during this period.
| Category | Confirmed details |
|---|---|
| Event | 18th National Marine Sports Festival |
| Originally scheduled dates | August 27–30, 2026 |
| Originally scheduled venues | Waterfront park at Jisepo Port in Irun-myeon, Geoje City, and the Wahyeon and Gujora areas |
| Reported final cancellation decision | August 25, 2026 |
Cited Reasons for the Cancellation
The cancellation was attributed in part to damage across Geoje City caused by torrential rain that continued from August 15 to 18, 2026. Reports also cited the resulting difficulty of securing the venue and installing competition facilities, along with the decision to prioritize recovery and safety measures.
The Korea Triathlon Federation also posted a cancellation notice on August 19 for the triathlon event at the 18th National Marine Sports Festival. However, details regarding participant refunds, compensation, or a rescheduled event were not confirmed in the materials reviewed for this report.
Points to Check
The original notice directly confirming the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ final cancellation decision could not be verified. The reported final decision was confirmed based on multiple reports, including Newsis and Bridge Economy. Participants and reservation holders should check separately for follow-up instructions until an official announcement is issued.
Sources checked:
- [Yonhap News｜Geoje, hit by extreme rainfall, also cancels National Marine Sports Festival scheduled to open on the 27th](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20260821097400052) — Checked August 21, 2026
- [Newsis｜Final cancellation decision made for National Marine Sports Festival](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260826_0003763311) — Checked August 26, 2026
- [Bridge Economy｜Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries makes final decision to cancel the 18th National Marine Sports Festival](https://www.viva100.com/article/20260826500535?site_preference=normal) — Checked August 26, 2026
- [Geoje City｜Information on the 18th National Marine Sports Festival](https://geoje.go.kr/board/view.geoje?boardId=BBS_0000028&contentsSid=13478&dataSid=306463281&menuCd=DOM_000008902003004000&paging=ok&startPage=1) — Checked August 29, 2026
- [Korea Triathlon Federation｜Notice of cancellation of triathlon event](https://triathlon.or.kr/events/tour/overview/?field=&keyword=&mode=overview&page=1&sYear=2026&tourcd=2041&vType=list) — Checked August 29, 2026