Ex-Gangwon governor to lead PyeongChang Games committee

Kim Jin-sun, head of the PyeongChang Winter Games Organizing Committee

By Yoon Chul

Kim Jin-sun, former governor of Gangwon Province, is set to take the helm of the inaugural PyeongChang Winter Games Organizing Committee.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Kwang-shik said Tuesday that Kim will lay the foundation stones for what would be the nation’s first Winter Olympics. Seoul played host to the 1988 Summer Games.

“Since PyeongChang began its bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2010, Kim has been with the town. Kim has been the most passionate supporter and has the most knowledge about (how to prepare for the) Winter Games,’’ Choi said. “As Kim has served as Gangwon Province governor three times, he is the right person to realize the PyeongChang citizens’ dream.”

The organizing committee will hold its inaugural assembly on Oct. 19, where Kim will officially be voted in as president.

Kim, who will also chair the executive committee for the Winter Games, will serve for two years.

Kim’s nomination is the first step for the country and PyeongChang after winning the right to host the 2018 Winter Games in Durban, South Africa on July 6. The eastern city was chosen following its third bid, beating out traditional winter sports powerhouses of Germany’s Munich and Annecy of France.

Moon Dong-hoo, former vice president of the Daegu IAAF World Championships, was named secretary general for the PyeongChang organizing committee.

Minister Choi said the organizing committee will be headquartered in PyeongChang. For effective communication with the central government and the IOC, an office will be set up in Seoul.

Cho Yang-ho, a former president of the PyeongChang Winter Games Bid Committee, had also been a strong candidate for the post along with Park Yong-sung, president of the Korea Olympic Committee. The three were considered vital to the successful bid, along with President Lee Myung-bak and Korean IOC member and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

At a press conference Tuesday, Choi said that there will be plenty of ways for current Korean IOC members and Vancouver Olympics figure skating gold medalist Kim Yu-na to help make the PyeongChang Winter Games a success. The other Korean IOC member is former Olympic taekwondo gold medalist Moon Dae-sung.

After hosting the Asian Winter Games in PyeongChang in 1999, Kim announced that the town would bid for the Winter Olympics.

He collaborated on the bid as governor and as a special ambassador. He is credited with having activated his network with IOC members, one that he extensively built during the two previous bids.