Pyeongchang reignites bid

Pyeongchang started its efforts towards earning its third bid for the Winter Olympics yesterday. A workshop for experts from various fields who will play a crucial role in Pyeongchang’s 2018 Winter Olympics bid was held yesterday evening at the Seoul Olympic Parktel in Songpa District.

Organized by one of the heads of the Pyeongchang Olympic bid committee and Gangwon Governor Kim Jin-sun, the workshop included a total of 40 participants, including committee members and experts.

The purpose of the workshop was to discuss the content of the application. Pyeongchang and other places vying for the 2018 Winter Games will submit their bids by March 15 next year and the IOC will choose a group of finalists by the end of June. The committee plans on completing the application by the end of December. The application, which will outline Pyeongchang’s bid for the 2018 Winter Games, will be a crucial first test for the county, if it is to make the IOC’s list of finalists for the 2018 Winter Games.

The current group of experts will prepare the bid and should the IOC choose Pyeongchang among its finalists, the experts will also put together the bid and presentations for visiting IOC members. The bid committee currently has 24 experts and will add at least 17 more by next year.

“The experts worked on our past bid committees for 2010 and 2014 and their experience will help us put together a solid proposal,” Kim said.

Looking to earn its third bid, Pyeongchang is expected to face stiff competition from Munich, Germany; Annecy, France; Sofia, Bulgaria; Harbin, China; Almaty, Kazakhstan; and Denver or Reno-Tahoe in the U.S.

By Jason Kim [jason@joongang.co.kr]