By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
PyeongChang is expected to face another hard-fought race in its third campaign for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
But even before its bid gets final approval from the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC), the city, which is 180 kilometers east of Seoul in Gangwon Province, has encountered an unforeseen antagonist: Busan, which is trying to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Last week, the southern port city metropolis placed a hurdle in the way of PyeongChang's third attempt at netting the games in a press conference in Seoul.
``Busan got the KOC nod in its bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics in 1997,'' Busan Mayor Hur Nam-sik said.
``But because the government favored the Winter Olympics, Busan gave way to PyeongChang.
``Now, it has failed in the past two bids, so we are campaigning on the back of passionate support from Busan citizens.''