By Shim Jae-yun
The people of PyeongChang seem full of the dream of hosting the global sports gala that has never been held on Korean soil, prompted by a largely positive appraisal from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on their city’s bid to host the 2018 Winter Games. The IOC Evaluation Commission gave high marks to the city’s preparations, the people’s passion and the government support, as it wrapped up its five-day inspection Saturday.
For PeyongChang it was ominous to see heavy snow from the day the IOC delegation arrived here on Feb. 14. Korea has been upping their stake in the bid for the winter games. President Lee Myung-bak visited the small town for face-to-face meetings with the delegates while reiterating the government’s full-fledged support for the bid.
Another big name in front of the national campaign was Lee Kun-hee, chairman of Samsung Electronics, an official sponsor for the Winter Games. Lee accompanied the delegates for presentations and on-site inspections making the most of his status as an IOC member permitted to have free access to the commission. Other Samsung officials including Lee’s son Jae-yong also supported the senior Lee’s efforts on the sidelines of the official sessions. Bid committee Chairman Cho Yang-ho’s brisk activities were also impressive.
Most of all, however, the bid seems to have gained impetus with the avid support of PyeongChang residents. Many took to the streets to welcome the delegates led by Gunilla Lindberg, former IOC vice president, by waving national flags and even portraits of the panel members.
Korea is noted for the warm hospitality it shows guests. It impressed foreign dignitaries with this virtue during the many international events it has hosted including the Seoul G-20 Summit held in November, 2010. The summit of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) held in Busan in 2005 featured two values of Korea – hospitality and IT (information technology), wowing participating world leaders such as former U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao.
The most impressive scene was probably with the chorus comprising 2018 voluntary members from PyeongChang who sang the song ``I Have a Dream.” Many shed tears after the city fell slightly short of realizing its dream for the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. Now the city is making a third and surely final attempt for the games. This compares with Munich of Germany, which has also been haunted by resistance from local residents involving land uses for the venues, though it has been cited as a favorite along with PyeongChang. A civic organization collected signatures from more than 1.4 million people in support of the bid. The close location of sporting venues that can be reached within 30 minutes is the most outstanding merit for the city.
As a foreign journalist covering the IOC inspection told The Korea Times, PyeongChang has a huge potential to grow into a regional hub in the rapidly growing sports market in Asia and for other regions with less developed infrastructure for winter sports. To abide by its pledges, PyeongChang has been holding the so-called ``Dream Program,” inviting 806 youngsters from 42 countries during the 2004-2010 period to provide them with the chances to experience winter sports.
Despite the positive IOC assessment it is premature to think of rosy prospects. The IOC team, now poised to make its last leg of inspection in Munich of Germany from Feb. 28, gave a similar positive assessment on Annecy. What matters will be who will win the hearts of the 105 IOC members.
Nobody can guess who will be the winner in the IOC voting in Durban, South Africa on July 6. For instance, hardly anybody thought Qatar would win the right to host the 2022 World Cup defeating formidable contenders South Korea, the United States and Australia, as the nation had long been considered an underdog. Some regard the win as a result of oil money. And another point cherished by IOC is legacy. Qatar has the legacy of holding the event for the first time in Middle East, which will help promote peace in the war-haunted region. In the same context, PyeongChang can give the legacy of hosting the winter games in Asia for the first time in 20 years since Japan organized the events in Nagano in 1998.