Yoon says nothing about 2036 bid at Olympics assembly

President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers a speech at the 26th General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) at the COEX convention center in southern Seoul on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

President Yoon Suk-yeol highlighted that the values of freedom and solidarity held by his administration are no different from the Olympic spirit as he addressed the 26th General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) on Wednesday.

Whether Korea will bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, however, was not mentioned in his speech.

The ANOC meeting, which is referred to as the United Nations General Assembly of the sports world, is taking place in Seoul for the third time after the capital city hosted in 1986 and in 2006. Some 1,300 officials from 206 countries are attending including President Thomas Bach of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who now serves as chair of the IOC Ethics Commission.

During Wednesday’s gathering of national Olympic bodies, Yoon emphasized the spirit of freedom and solidarity that he has been championing in office.

“The Republic of Korea, through the great sports festival of the Olympic games, has continued to stand in solidarity with the international community while working together for world peace,” Yoon said in an opening address for the ANOC meeting at the COEX convention center in southern Seoul.

“Yet various threats to peace in the world that the international community confronts are very serious indeed,” Yoon said. “However, through our global initiative for solidarity, I believe these issues and challenges can be overcome.”

The president continued, “The spirit of freedom and solidarity the Korean government strives to pursue is no different from the Olympic spirit. For the spirit of freedom and solidarity to be embraced in sports across the entire spectrum, Korea will exert its utmost effort to that end and also contribute to the international community through sports.”

Korea has staged the Games on two previous occasions, with Seoul playing host to the 1988 Summer Olympics and the northern city of Pyeongchang hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics.

“The Korean government is working systematically to preserve and harness both tangible and intangible Olympic legacies that these Seoul and Pyeongchang Olympics have left,” Yoon said.

“In January 2024, Korea will host the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games, which aims to share the spirit of the Olympics with the youth, thus advancing world peace through sports, bringing together the world in harmony,” he said.

Yoon did not mention any bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics.

On Monday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government released the results of a poll it conducted in September showing that public support for a bid to host the city's second Olympic Games in 2036 stood at 72.8 percent.

Saying that countries that have hosted the summer games twice or more have hosted them with a gap of around 50 years, the city added that the year 2036 is suitable for Seoul to hold its second Olympic Games, as it would be 48 years after the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Regarding reports that President Yoon will personally support a 2036 Summer Olympics bid, a presidential official said such an idea "has not been considered at all."

“The promotion of the Olympics is a national issue that requires various reviews, such as asking the public for opinions and analyzing the possibility of success and cost-effectiveness at the government level,” the presidential office said Monday.

Seoul officials told the Korea JoongAng Daily that the city is gauging public opinion, and refuted reports saying Mayor Oh Se-hoon will formally announce the launch of a bid during a European tour next week.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]