Do Je-hae edits news stories as part of the AI team.
Will two Koreas co-host 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon Province?
Unification Minister Lee In-young, right, meets with Gangwon Governor Choi Moon-soon during a meeting, Sept. 4, at the government complex in Seoul. Yonhap
By Do Je-hae
By Do Je-hae
The 2024 Winter Youth Olympics to be held in Gangwon Province, the venue of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, is drawing attention for its potential to promote cultural and sports exchange between the two Koreas.
During a meeting with Unification Minister Lee In-young, Sept. 4, Gwangwon Mayor Choi Moon-soon discussed cooperation between the ministry and the province for expediting inter-Korean projects, according to the ministry.
In particular, the governor highlighted the need for the ministry's support in seeking North Korea's participation in the event.
“We hope that the Ministry of Unification will play a leading role realizing the co-hosting of the event with North Korea,” Choi said.
The provincial government is currently pushing to host some of the events such as alpine skiing and snowboarding in Wonsan, North Korea,
“We hope that the youth games will create a second miracle following the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games,” Lee said.
The February 2018 Winter Games served as an impetus for improving inter-Korean ties, with the active participation of the North Koreans. A high-level delegation led by Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader's sister, visited PyeongChang. The visit paved the way for an inter-Korean summit on April 27, the first of three summits between President Moon and Kim Jong-un that year.
Established in 2010, the Winter Youth Olympics has been held every four years and Gangwon Province was selected to host the 2024 event during an IOC session in January in Lausanne, Switzerland. An organizing committee for the 2024 games was officially launched Sept. 3.