Seoul begins Olympic site inspections for 2036 bid

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Seoul begins Olympic site inspections for 2036 bid

Published: 26 Dec. 2024, 17:28 Updated: 26 Dec. 2024, 22:26

CHO JUNG-WOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

The opening ceremony of the 1988 Seoul Olympics at the Seoul Olympic Stadium in Jamsil, southern Seoul [JOONGANG ILBO]

Seoul began on-site inspections on Thursday as part of its bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics.

Seoul, which hosted the 1988 Olympics, had previously joined the bid to co-host the 2032 Summer Olympics with Pyongyang, which came to an end after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) named Brisbane the preferred candidate.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon stressed that the Olympics would serve as “a historical milestone to showcase Korea’s soft power and vision,” further noting that the city has already confirmed the economic feasibility of hosting the international event.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, a feasibility study conducted by the Korea Institute of Sport Science produced a cost-benefit analysis of 1.03 for the 2036 Seoul Olympics. A score of 1 or higher indicates economic feasibility. The survey was conducted between May and November last year.

Typically, feasibility studies are conducted after candidate cities are officially nominated, but Seoul completed its study in advance, citing its "confidence in the event’s economic viability."

The city government submitted its proposal, including the study results, to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) on Nov. 12.

A render of the Jamsil Sport MICE Complex project [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT}

Currently, Seoul and North Jeolla are the two regions that have announced bids to host the 2036 Olympics. The KSOC is expected to select its candidate city in February next year.

Seoul’s bid emphasizes its comparatively low budget. Based on the survey result, the city expects total expenses of 5.08 trillion won ($3.5 billion), with an estimated economic benefit of 4.47 trillion won to host the Olympics. The cost for the latest Olympics all exceeded 10 trillion won. The 2024 Paris Olympics cost 12.3 trillion won and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics 14.8 trillion won.

To minimize expenses and environmental damage, the city plans to use existing facilities instead of constructing new ones. Proposed venues include Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul for archery and Han River Park for beach volleyball. Additionally, the city said it has secured cooperation from neighboring regions, such as Gyeonggi and Incheon, to use their sports facilities during the event.

The city government believes that strong public support for hosting the Olympics bolsters its competitiveness as a candidate city.

A survey conducted between July and August last year found that nearly 82 percent of 1,000 Koreans supported hosting the 2036 Olympics in Seoul, and nearly 90 percent believed the event would be a success.

Officials also highlighted the timing of the bid, noting that it would mark around 50 years since Seoul last hosted the Olympics. Currently, only six countries have hosted the Olympics more than once: the United States, Britain, France, Australia, Greece and Japan.

The IOC is expected to select the host city as early as 2026 as Future Host Commission Chair Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic recently said that a decision is unlikely before 2026 or 2027.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO, HAN EUN-HWA [[email protected]]