PyeongChang Revives Olympic Dream
Determined to make its second bid to host Olympic winter games

PyeongChang, then apparently an underdog, stunned the world by making a powerful showing in a vote by the IOC members at their July 2003 Annual Meeting in Prague to select the host of the 2010 Games. Korea? candidate city led the first round with 51 votes against 40 for Vancouver, Canada, and 16 for the Austrian city of Salzburg. But in the second-round play-off, PyeongChang lost to Vancouver by a razor-slim margin of 56-53.
PyeongChang has thrown its hat in another race to gain the right to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. "The bid race will get tougher as most of the cities wishing to organize the Games or considering their bid are European and North American winter sports powerhouses. We have to start from scratch since none is an easy rival to contend with,"he said. Han Seung-soo, chairman of the 2014 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee, said that 13 cities, including 11 countries, including European and North American winter sports powerhouses like Salzburg, Austria and Oestersund, Sweden, are expected to vie to obtain the bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Han opined that previously, it took too much time for Korea to choose its candidate city among competing domestic cities and therefore was pressed for time in publicizing PyeongChang to the global stage.
Capitalizing on the experiences and know-how the city has accumulated during its bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, he said, PyeongChang is trying to do its best in redoubling its bid efforts in Korea and abroad, riding on an overwhelming public support for its bid. Elaborating on PyeongChang? determination to achieve its once-frustrated dream to host the Winter Olympic Games, Han, former deputy prime minister-minister of finance and economy, emphasizes that the 2014 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games would purse the cause of spreading winter sports in the Asian region and contributing to ensuring peace on the Korean peninsula. A time-honored diplomat, Han, 69, also served as minister of foreign affairs and trade as well as president of the 56th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
PyeongChang submitted its bid for attracting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games with most of the plans on a drawing board, but this time, the city will present what is being practically done or will be done as it was asked previously to supplement such areas as sports and accommodation facilities, and infrastructure, Han noted. The following are the excerpts of Han's interview with NewsWorld.
Question: Would you tell our readers about how you feel upon taking office as chairman of the 2014 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee and what resolution do you make?
Answer: I'm overwhelmed by the responsibility imposed on the chairman of the 2014 PyeongChang Olympic Games Bid Committee thanks to the public support.
I will never forget the overwhelming public support for PyeongChang's bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. I will do my best in bringing the 2014 Winter Olympic Games to PyeongChang

I will abide by the principle of fair play in accordance with the rules of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Following the IOC's schedule, my bid committee will submit its application to the IOC and prepare its questionnaire. I will also put more energy into soliciting domestic and overseas support for PyeongChang's bid to host the Winter Olympiad and will dispatch important members to Singapore to participate in the 117th IOC General Meeting slated for July 3-9.
Q: If PyeongChang becomes the venue of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, what is the schedule of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games and the spill-over effects the Games would bring about?
A: The 2014 Winter Olympic Games will be held for 16 days from Feb. 8 to Feb. 23 with about 20,000 athletes, officials and media people from some 80 IOC member countries attending. During the Olympic period, 15 events comprising of 84 sports competitions will be held in the Winter Sports Belt, centering on Yongpyong, that links PyeongChang, Wonju, Gangneung and Jeongseon within one hour's reach of each other by using well-connected expressways and other infrastructure. Ski competitions will be held in Yongpyong, Bokwang Phoenix, Sungwoo and Jungbong resorts, which Gangneung and Wonju will be the venue of such games as speed skating, figure skating and ice hockey.
If PyeongChang gains the right to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, Korea would be given an opportunity to further improve its global profile following the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. The 2014 Winter Olympiad in the divided province of Gangwon in a divided nation would contribute to promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula through forming of one unified team by South and North Korea, their joint training and torch relay. Winter sports facilities, existing and newly built, would be furnished with the latest electronic and IT gadgets embodying Korea? leadership in the field and environmental cause.
The 2014 Winter Olympic Games would help PyeongChang, already a magnet for ski populations from South Asia during the winter; reposition itself as not only a Mecca of winter sports, but also an Asian hub of tourism. An expansion of diverse infrastructure necessary for hosting the Games would contribute to balanced regional development.
A survey on possible economic benefits of the Games by the Research Institute of Physical Education indicates that Korea is to gain 15,057 billion won in production spill-over effects and 6,698 billion won in added value in addition to the creation of new 186,000 jobs.
Q: Would you explain the IOC's schedule on the selection of the venue of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games and what cities are expected to vie for the bid race?
A: PyeongChang will submit its bid application to the IOC as one of applicant cities July 28, 2005. The IOC will announce a shortlist of candidate cities on June 23, 2006 before voting on the selection of the venue of the 2014 Winter Olympics during the IOC Annual Meeting slated for July 2007 in Guatemala.
Thirteen cities in 11 countries, including seven European cities, are expected to compete in the bid race. They include PyeongChang, Salzburg, Austria, the two cities who participated in the bid to attract the 2010 Winter Olympics, and Oestersund, Sweden, which makes its eighth bid this time. The three cities confirmed their bid for the Games. Another 10 cities, including Harbin, China, are considering joining the bid race.
The bid race will get tougher as most of the cities wishing to organize the Games or considering their bid are European and North American winter sports powerhouses. We have to start from scratch since none is an easy rival to compete.
Q: Could you elaborate on strategies PyeongChang is trying to employ so as to gain the right to organize the Games?
A: PyeongChang will go the extra mile to publicize its strong points, while making efforts to raise international recognition and trust. PyeongChang will focus on creating optimal conditions for athletes to achieve their best performances during the Games. The city boasts of optimal natural conditions, all games venues are within one hour's reach with each other and IOC-certified sports facilities.
The 2014 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games will be held to help spread winter sports in the Asian region and contribute to ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula.
In an effort to gain trust from the international sports community, PyeongChang continues to organize the Dream Program, the world's first winter sports experience program, introduced last year. Under the program, 108 participants from 22 countries where winter sports do not exist were invited in 2004, and 109 youngsters from 26 countries were given chances to experience winter sports this year. Gangwon Province have succeeded in attracting 15 international winter sports tournaments with top-seed players participating, four of which have been already been organized. The province is seeking to host seven more international sports championships.
Capitalizing on the experiences and know-how the city has accumulated during its bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, PyeongChang is trying to do its best in redoubling its bid efforts in Korea and abroad, riding on an overwhelming public support for its bid.
Q: What makes PyeongChang a preferred place compared to rival cities?
A: Korea has been recognized globally for having successfully hosted the 1988 Summer Olympic Games and 2002 World Cup. Korea is well known as a country that successfully organizing the international sports events. PyeongChang has a better traffic network with express ways within 15 minutes from each game site. All game sites are located within one hour's reach of each other.
The general public, the central and the provincial governments also strongly support PyeongChang's bid for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. PyeongChang has already been officially recognized for its sports facilities and capabilities to host Winter Olympic Games.The city has abundant human and material resources as well as expertise that originated from the experiences it has accumulated for its bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Q: What is the difference between PyeongChang's bid to host the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic Games?
A: The major difference is that following the bid for 2010 PyeongChang has now become very well known all over the world as a very good site for winter sports.
PyeongChang submitted its bid for attracting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games with most of the plans on paper. For the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, the city will be better prepared by supplementing such areas as sports and accommodation facilities, and infrastructure.
Q: Could you explain the so-called Dream Program PyeongChang has implemented?
A: PyeongChang made good on a public pledge to implement the Dream Program, a promise the city had made during its previous bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games with the aim of promoting sports and culture exchanges among youths from around the world, including the regions without winter sports. The program has attracted 217 youngsters from 27 countries during the past two years. The participants underwent a two-week training for skiing, snowboard, speed skating, short track skating and figure skating. The program was hailed with acclamations from IOC President Jacques Rogge and major global media outlets.
PyeongChang will further expand the program in a bid to gain trust and recognition from the international sports arena.
Q: Would you give the details of a supporters'sgroup, or Dongsamo, established to support PyeongChang? bid for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games?
A: Despite a failure to win the right to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, netizens who are interested in winter sports began to get together on a voluntary basis in November 2003 and formed Dongsamo, "People Who Love Winter Sports."This has now grown into a large family with a membership of 100,000 across the nation. Dongsamo supports PyeongChang's bid as Red Devils, volunteers-supporters, supported Korea's national team during the Korea-Japan World Cup.
Organizations affiliated with Dongsamo are operated on province-levels and on a voluntary basis. They participate in various regional events or athletic meetings to publicize their support for PyeongChang's bid and they have their own exclusive websites.
Dongsamo members conducted publicity activities for PyeongChang's bid on the sidelines of the 58th World Newspaper Congress held at COEX in Seoul between May 29 and June 1.
You would be most welcome to join Dongsamo. It is becoming a trendsetter of supporters?culture in Korea today.
Q: I understand that it is more important for PyeongChang to demonstrate that it has made any progress in expanding winter sports facilities, compared to the time when it made a bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Do you have any plans on expanding sport facilities, one of the tasks PyeongChang will have to tackle?
A: Five existing winter sports facilities - Alpine ski slopes, curling facilities in Yongpyong Resort, biathlon and cross-country slopes in Alpensia and snowboard in Sungwoo Resort - will undergo renovations, while six new others will be built - ski jump slopes in Alpensia; downhill and super-G courses in Jungbong; Jeongseon; free-style in Bokwang; lunge, bobsleigh and skeleton in Sungwoo Resort; men and women's ice hockey rinks in Wonju, and speed skating and short track rinks in Gangneung.
The Gangwon provincial government as well as the central government will push ahead with projects to renovate existing sports facilities and build new ones as planned. A public bidding will be conducted next month on design and construction of Alpensia, formerly known as Peace Valley Resort. The turn-key-based Alpensia Resort project calling for construction of a new skip jump course and renovating biathlon and cross-country courses will break ground next April and be completed by October 2007. The basic design of a down hill course in Jeongseon, figure staking and short track rinks in Gangneung and men's ice hockey rink in Wonju will be drawn up between May and December this year and the construction for the three projects will be launched between February and December next year.
Projects to build speedskating,
 women's icehockey and lunge
/bobsleigh facilities andto 
renovate a curlingcenter will
 be implemented
 after PyeongChang is given the right to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
Q:Would you elaborate on access traffic trunk network construction projects, an 
urgent task?
A: The central government will start a state-financed project to build a 120-km-long railroad linking Wonju and Gangneung next year, while another project to construct the 56.08-km-long Second Yongdong Expressway connecting Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, and Wonju will break ground in the first half of this year, with investments from the private sector. Two national roads - one linking Hoengseong and Ganpyeong and the other connecting Jinbu and Jungbong - will break ground between this year and next year, while the construction of three regional roads has been already begun. Other circular roads, including the planned Wonju Grand Road, and PyeongChang County Road and Yongpyong resort road construction projects will be launched between 2005 and 2007.
Q: Could you comment on the remarks you want to make to the general public?
A: The 2014 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games will once again enhance Korea's international profile and global image on the heels of its successful hosting of the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics and the 2002 Word Cup. The 2014 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games will promote inter-Korean sports exchanges and peace on the Korean Peninsula. The public support of the host country is considered an essential factor in determining the venue of the 2014 Winter Olympics when the IOC Annual Meeting is convened in July 2007 in Guatemala. Therefore I appeal for your strong and continuous support. nw

Han Seung-soo, chairman of the 2014 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee, speaks during he inaugural general meeting of the committee last April 1 in Seoul.

Gangwon Province Gov. Kim Jin-sun, concurrently executive president of the 2014 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee

Members of the supporters?group Dongsamo participating in a walkathon organized by a women? magazine

An an artist conception of the planned Alpensia Resort, formerly known as Peace Valley Resort, indicating its resort zone (A) and Olympic Winter Games zone (B).