Organizers fear dismal closing act

By Kwon Ji-youn

INCHEON — Organizers of the Incheon Asian Games face a daunting challenge — bringing Asia’s biggest sporting event to a close in a way that makes people forget an opening ceremony that many believe was the worst ever.

“We have noted the criticism we received after the opening ceremony and applied it to the direction of the closing ceremony,” Jang Jin, artistic director of the ceremony, said during a news conference at the Main Press Center in Incheon, Tuesday.

But he seems to have few options available due to his limited budget and other problems.

Jang said because of the athletic events at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium that will run until the end of the Games, “We will not be able to push through with the final rehearsal that had been scheduled for Friday. We ask for your understanding.”

According to Jang and chief organizer Im Kwon-taek, the closing ceremony will include performances by the National Dance Company of Korea and the National Gugak Center, a countdown using filmed shots of athletes’ shirt numbers and AD cards, a taekwondo performance and a concert by boy band Big Bang.

But most people remain unconvinced that the closing ceremony will be an improvement on the opening ceremony, which was likened by the public and foreign media to a hallyu (Korean wave) concert or film festival, featuring more celebrities than sports stars.

Jang implied that casting had not been his or Im’s decision, and that the focus had been drawn away from two children who accompanied actress Lee Young-ae in lighting the Games cauldron during the opening ceremony because of miscommunication between the organizers and the camera crew.

“We, people who produce the content, do not always have a say in casting,” Jang said. “Our direction to (Lee) had been to act as a mother to the two children who would light the Asiad flame. Lee also worried that it would look as though she were the final torch-bearer.”

Lee’s appearance was a primary topic of criticism related to the opening ceremony because many felt it was inappropriate for an actress to fill a role usually given to famous athletes at such international competitions.

Jang and Im had intended for the two children to be the final bearers of the torch to represent Asia’s future.

“Overall, the opening ceremony left much to be desired,” Im admitted.

Another problem is ticket sales.

According to the Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee (IAGOC), only 20,955 tickets have been sold as of Tuesday. This represents just 39.06 percent of the 10 billion won it hoped to make.

At the opening ceremony, the IAGOC gave away some 20,000 tickets for free, as sales had been flat. “Ticket prices at the 2010 Guangzhou Asiad were more expensive,” said Lee Il-hee, deputy secretary-general of the IAGOC. “We gave it a lot of consideration — should we leave the seats empty, or should we fill them?”

“We prioritized supporters, Incheon education superintendents and those in the military. We wanted to be very rational about giving away free tickets and the same could happen for the closing ceremony.”