By Do Je-hae
International events are on the priority list of governors and mayors, who consider them crucial drivers for the development and lasting legacy of their regions.
An economic underdog among the nation’s eight provinces, the eastern mountainous Gangwon is emerging as a unique example in a successful bid for major global events.
Kim Jin-sun, former three-time Gangwon governor, who first conceived the idea to host the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in the late 1990s, advises local governments to pursue an event that is conducive to their regional conditions and characteristics.
“While serving as the head of the planning department of the Gangwon provincial administration, I began to think that our province was in dire need to be more known nationally and globally,” Kim said. “I thought that the Winter Games were a suitable global event to realize such a vision as we are the nation’s home to winter sports. In addition, Gangwon has traditionally been famous for tourism. In 1999, we hosted the International Tourism Expo, which considerably increased the number of visitors to our region.”
Today, about 1.5 million tourists visit the region a year, a significant increase from 1999 when the region drew only around 200,000 visitors.
“The goal, costs and benefits of the event must be clear and justifiable,” Kim said.
In 1998, the life-time public servant eventually became governor of the province where he served most of his public life.
After 12 years as governor, Kim has utilized his knowhow and experience as the special ambassador of the Korean bid committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.
“After a successful bid, the regional community must work together for smooth preparations and implement region-specific marketing and promotional strategies,” Kim said.
A consistent administration also played a part in hosting the Winter Games, he added.
As a three-time governor, Kim has been able to retain the necessary global network and relevant knowledge accumulated over the years.
Some officials in Gangwon have been working on the bid for more than 10 years, which is unusual in Korea’s administrative system where officials are assigned to different posts on a short-term basis.
“Persistent effort will pay off in the long run,” Kim said. The former governor is planning to write a book on the history of PyeongChang’s bid.
“There are lots of interesting behind-the-scenes stories,” he said.
For a seamless preparation for the 2018 Games, Kim called on the media for an “objective and correct” report, with a focus on promoting Korea globally.
“I noticed the IOC members were looking up The Korea Times to learn the latest about Korea,” Kim said.
The Korea Times has had a close association with global events held in Gangwon.
During the Winter Asian Games in 1999 held in the province, the nation’s oldest English daily published the official newspaper, specially printed for the athlete’s village.