Olympic planning starts in Pyeongchang

The International Olympic Committee and the organizing committee for the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics will meet for the first time since the alpine town in Gangwon was awarded the Winter Games.

The first meeting of the Olympic Coordination Commission starts today at Alpensia Resort in Pyeongchang.

Pyeongchang, 180 kilometers east of Seoul, was awarded the Games eight months ago at the IOC General Assembly in Durban, South Africa.

The Pyeongchang Organizing Committee will be led by former Gangwon Governor Kim Jin-sun.

The OCC is led by Sweden’s Gunilla Lindberg, who chaired the committee that evaluated Pyeongchang as a candidate city in February 2011. It will monitor plans for the Winter Games and assist the POC with preparations for the event.

The three-day meeting includes a conference on the first day and visits to sporting venues in Pyeongchang and Gangneung. It will conclude with a press conference on Thursday.