A person surnamed Cho (27), who lives in Dongdaemun District, Seoul, recently studied the application schedules for lessons at five public pools near home and work. After reviewing recent competition rates and how fast slots close, Cho picked a relatively less popular time. After trying hard, Cho managed to sign up for the three-evenings-a-week class at a city-run pool. Cho said, "I was lucky," adding, "Around me, many people are pushed onto waitlists and end up waiting for months."
As more people seek national and public pools, the so-called "su-ketting" fever is heating up. A portmanteau of swimming pool and ticketing, it means that applying for public pool lessons is as intense as booking tickets for a popular idol concert.
Public pools are increasingly preferred as low prices align with rising demand for recreational sports. There are also calls to expand public pools, but the cost burden to build and operate them is high, making it hard to boost supply in the short term.
◇ Checking server time amid online application battles
According to the website "Naveism," which allows users to check real-time server time, up to 800 people in a day searched the server time for the Seoul Metropolitan Government Sports Facilities Management Office website on the 5th. It suggests considerable demand from people trying not to be even a second late for online first-come, first-served registration.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government Sports Facilities Management Office is recruiting users for the Jamsil Sports Complex swimming pool. Equipped with 50-meter lanes and a diving pool, it is a public facility considered one of the most popular in Seoul.
Most public pools in Seoul accept applications online on a first-come, first-served basis, but some facilities still run on-site registration in parallel or accept only on-site registration. A person identified as A, who lives in Bangbae-dong, Seocho District, even did an "open run" to sign up for lessons. A said, "Registration started at 6 a.m., so I arrived at the pool around 4 a.m.," adding, "Even then, I got a waiting ticket in the 10s and barely managed to register."
◇ Public pool 50,000 won vs. private pool 200,000 won
The biggest reason public pools are popular is price. You can take lessons at a public pool for an average of 50,000 to 80,000 won a month. In contrast, many private pools charge close to 200,000 won a month for lessons. Even for the same swimming lessons, the expense gap is large, so demand clusters at public pools.
The increase in people wanting to enjoy swimming also played a role. According to the National Sports for All Survey that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism released this year, swimming ranked high among the "sports people want to participate in" for those who regularly engage in physical activities. Swimming was found to be No. 1 for sports people want to do when they have time flexibility and No. 2 for sports they want to do when they have financial flexibility.
On the ground, the age range of people coming to pools is also broadening. Survival swimming classes, expanded to all elementary grades since 2020, have made students and parents more familiar with swimming. The "senior sports voucher" the government provided last year is also cited as a factor increasing participation in recreational sports among those 65 and older.
◇ One public pool per 93,800 people in Seoul
Demand is growing, but the supply of public pools is not sufficient. As of the end of 2024, there are 579 public pools nationwide. Seoul has 99, which is about one public pool per 93,800 people.
There are also regional differences within Seoul. Yangcheon District has seven public pools, and Seongdong District and Guro District each have six. In contrast, Mapo District, Seodaemun District and Jung District each have two.
The issue is that pools cost more to maintain and manage than other recreational sports facilities. Fixed expenses are high for water quality control, heating, electricity and deploying lifeguards. Even when facilities are newly built, operating costs follow, so it is not easy for local governments to sharply increase public pools in a short period with limited budgets.
Experts note that support at the central government level is needed. Lee Jong-seong, a professor in the Department of Sports Industry at Hanyang University, said, "Swimming is meaningful beyond mere leisure in that it builds the ability to survive on one's own in rivers and the sea," adding, "Regardless of residence or income level, the government should step in to create conditions that allow access to pool infrastructure."