- Incheon Asian Games Boost City’s Regional Hub Ambition -
Incheon’s winning the right Tuesday to hold the 2014 Asian Games is significant not just for sports but for the economy and diplomacy. After seven years, the port city about 80 km west of Seoul will be able to stand at the center of Asia’s biggest athletic festival. At the same time, Incheon will be able to move far closer to its dream of emerging as Asia’s business hub. This surely is something to be celebrated by the entire nation.
The success is especially significant because of the competition with Asia’s two economic and athletic giants _ India and China. The Asian Games lag behind the Olympics in the number of participating countries but excels the latter in the total number of athletes and officials attending. That, however, means Korea should actively embrace temporary rivals if for no other reason than getting their cooperation both in successful hosting and in obtaining the right to host 2014 Winter Olympics.
Incheon will likely get a big economic boost from the athletic event. Economists said the Asian Games would bring about 15 trillion won worth of industrial production and added values, while creating 200,000 jobs on the host city. Moreover, the gateway to Seoul will emerge as a regional business and logistics hub by expanding infrastructure with the central government’s financial support. In short, Incheon will see its brand as a major Asian city sharply enhanced.
It’s time now to calm down and start to make perfect preparations to make it a most successful sports event in this continent. Korea has already successfully hosted the Summer Olympics and World Cup soccer and will become the country that has hosted three Asian Games events. The National Assembly is urged to legislate the special support act to facilitate the expansion of road and telecommunication networks as well as related athletic facilities.
This year, Korea has managed to attract two big international sports events, including the World Athletics Championships to be held in Daegu in 2011. Two more are at stake for the nation to grab the ``quadruple crown’’ _ 2014 Winter Olympics for PyeongChang and 2012 World Expo for Yosu. Some are concerned the first two successful bids might adversely affect the latter two. We beg to differ. What matters are not whether one country should be allowed to host all these but the would-be hosts’ enthusiasm, preparations and ability. There must be good results.