By Nam Hyun-woo
The organizing committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics said Sunday it will oppose a move reported by the Associated Press that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) intends to shift bobsled and luge events out of Korea in order to reduce costs.
“Should the IOC make an official offer about moving the events, the committee will show the IOC that we have plans for the long-term use of the venues we are building,” Shin Mu-chol, communications director general of the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG) told The Korea Times.
“We are constructing a bobsleigh run with a view for sustainable use and with the view of leaving a legacy. It is difficult for us to move events out of the country,” Shin said.
These remarks came after a series of foreign media reports that the IOC wants the POCOG to relocate events to existing venues outside of Korea, as part of its “Agenda 2020,” a reform package aimed at saving money on staging the Olympics.
Quoting an unnamed IOC official, the Associated Press reported Sunday that the IOC asked organizers to halt construction of the new sliding venue at the Alpensia Resort in PyeongChang County, Gangwon Province, and relocate to existing venues in Asia, Europe or North America.
However, the POCOG replied that it “had not received any request from the IOC.”
“We expect that such a request will be officially made after an upcoming IOC meeting,” Shin said, adding that the new venue has been under construction since April.
The IOC will hold its meeting this Monday and Tuesday in Monaco, and members will vote on IOC President Thomas Bach’s “Agenda 2020."
Earlier on Sunday, Bach said that Korean and Japanese Olympic organizers will be able to make changes to their venue plans for the 2018 and 2020 Games if this will cut costs.
POCOG President Cho Yang-ho said that Agenda 2020 will give “many opportunities that will benefit current and future Olympic Games organizers.” However, he added that “various ideas are being pondered,” and “we will have a clear understanding about the new flexibility after this session,” saying the POCOG will consult with the IOC.
This confusion has caused consternation among those in Gangwon Province, where PyeongChang County is located.
“We have been worried about such a move since the IOC has been lukewarm over building new venues,” said Oh Se-bong, the chairman of a special committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics at the Gangwon Provincial Council.
“The committee cannot accept such a move. If the IOC wants it, we have thoughts on boycotting other events such as skating taking place in Gangwon,” he said.