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Korean Olympic chief pushes 2036 Summer Games bid in meeting with IOC

Published: 09 Apr. 2025, 17:04

Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Ryu Seung-min, left, shakes hands with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach during their meeting at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on April 8. [NEWS1]

Korean Olympic chief Ryu Seung-min made a push for his country's bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics in his recent meeting with International Olympic Committee (IOC) leaders in Switzerland, officials here said Wednesday.

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) said Ryu met with IOC President Thomas Bach and other officials at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Tuesday regarding Korea's bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics.

North Jeolla beat Seoul in February to become the Korean candidate for the 2036 bid, with the provincial capital of Jeonju taking the leading role. Korea is trying to become the seventh country — joining the United States, France, Britain, Australia, Japan and Greece — to stage multiple Summer Olympics.

Kim Kwan-young, governor of North Jeolla, and Myung Soo-hyun, head of the international sports division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, accompanied Ryu.

“Together, they highlighted Jeonju's capabilities as the potential host city and the determination by Korea as a whole to stage the Olympics,” the KSOC said in a statement. “They also emphasized Jeonju's rich historical and cultural assets and sustainable infrastructure.”

The Korean officials also met with Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, head of the IOC's Future Host Commission, and Christophe Dubi, executive director of the Olympic Games, and briefed them on North Jeolla's preparations for the bid.

The IOC has eliminated a direct vote by its members with multiple candidate cities in the bidding race.

Instead, the IOC's Future Host Commission screens potential host cities and makes a recommendation to the IOC Executive Board, which then decides whether to open a “targeted dialogue” with one or more “preferred hosts.”

During the targeted dialogue phase, each preferred host must fill out the IOC's Future Host Questionnaire and provide guarantees that back up its bid submission.

The Executive Board will decide whether to put one or more preferred hosts up for a vote by IOC members.

Yonhap