Reviving bid for 2014 Winter Olympics, after narrow 2010 loss to Vancouver The year 2006 is a very important year for Pyeongchang, a country in Gangwon Province, which is going all-out to achieve its long-cherished dream of hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics, according to Han Seung-soo, chairman of the 2014 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee. Until Feb. 1, 2006, PyeongChang will submit Q&A documents to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the IOC will select candidate cities for the 2014 Winter Olympics among the bidders on June 22 this year, he said. After conducting on-the-spot surveys of candidate cities during the February- March period of 2007, the IOC will determine the final bidder to host the 2014 Winter Olympics on July 7, 2007. Apart from PyeongChang, a total of six cities are officially bidding for the hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics-Salzburg of Austria, Almaty of Kazakhstan, Sochi of Russia, Jaca of Spain, Sofia of Bulgaria and Borjomi-Bakuriani of Georgia. In an interview with Korea IT Times, Han said, 'To attain the long-cherished dream for the 2014 Winter Olympics, we will actively push for strategic international public relations activities this year. 'Related to this, we will actively participate in the IOC observer programs, including the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics to be held in Italy on Feb. 10-26 and the 2006 AIPS Congress set for May in Qatar, while maintaining close relations with dignitaries in the world's sports circle and the press,' said Han. The chairman said the Bid Committee would continue to improve international confidence in PyeongChang's hosting ability and upgrade the awareness of the PyeongChang region. 'At the same time, we will actively push ahead with the 2006 'dream program,' which will invite 117 young boys and girls from 30 countries in the world where winter sports are not developed to experience winter sports and to promote cultural exchange and international friendship,' he said. Under the dream program operating over 7 years from 2004 through 2010, about 100-200 players as well as coaches from 20-40 countries every year are trained free of charge in six sports such as alpine and cross country skiing, snowboarding, speed skating, short track, and figure skating. Gangwon Province has already fixed 15 international matches under the program. 'Gangwon is, no doubt, endowed with a great natural environment for winter sports. However, most of all, it is heartfelt support from its residents that made the province what it is now. Now also with full-scale support from the government, PyeongChang is looking to make a big leap forward in the competition,' he said. Asked about the merits of PyeongChang, the chairman said that PyeongChang is blessed with natural resources such as the most ideal altitude, enough quantities of fallen snow and optimum snow quality. In addition, all sports stadiums are located within one-hour distance of Yongpyeong in PyeongChang. 'Accordingly, we can offer convenient traffic networks and up-to-date facilities, helping participating players display their skills to the maximum extent with the best conditions,' said Han. In terms of regional impact, the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang will also allow the area to develop as one of the major centers of Asia winter sports, greatly contributing to the development and spread of the winter sports in the Asian region. Along with this, the hosting of the Winter Olympic Games, as did the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympic Games, can further contribute to peace on the Korean peninsula, he said. In addition, in the course of attracting the 2010 Winter Olympics, PyeongChang has secured enough competitiveness, accumulating relevant know-how and building personnel and material networks with dignitaries in the world's sports circle. At the IOC general meeting on July 2, 2003, where the 2010 Games hosts were determined, Korea's PyeongChang City, a non-factor in the bidding period compared to the well-known Western competitors, surprised the officials present. The city was top in the first round, past Canada's Vancouver and Austria's Salzburg. However, three votes short of winning the bid outright, PyeongChang had to go into a second round, which it lost by three votes to Vancouver. The failure was bitter but also left it with something too. Now Gangwon Province, home of PyeongChang, is known in the winter sports scene, and is named as one of the favorites in the bidding for the 2014 event. Gangwon Province escaped the uncontrolled development, which took place over much of the country during the days of rapid growth. One consequence is that the region has preserved undefiled nature with both mountains and beaches, favored for holiday destinations. The region is also considered a 'parental place' of the nation, since it includes Baekdudaegan, the biggest mountain range in Korea, which crosses the peninsula and also is the source of 14 mountain regions, and many rivers in the country. Gangwon has three national parks- Sorak, Odae and Chiak Mountains. Sorak Mountain especially is one of the bestknown tourists' spots. The well-preserved natural environment in Gangwon Province is used in lots of movies and TV dramas, which led to a rise in foreign visitors to the region.

Q: Would you comment on the government's support for PyeogChang striving to host the 2014 Winter Olympics A: President Roh Moo-hyun has extended full support to PyeongChang and the government's supporting committee, led by prime minister, was newly set up to help the city attract the 2014 Winter Olympics. In particular, the government has decided to spend 30.5 billion won in budgets this year for expansion of relevant infrastructure, including construction of sports stadiums and transportation networks. The National Assembly will also create a similar committee to extend full supports to PyeongChang in the immediate future. Q: How about preparations for sports stadiums to host the 2014 Winter Olympics A: A total of 13 sports stadiums are needed. We will supplement the existing six sports grounds and are pushing for building seven new sports arenas. Ski competition will be held in Yongpyeong, Bogwang, Sungwoo and Jungbong ski resorts; speed skating, figure skating and short-track events in Gangnung; and ice hockey competitions in Wonju. We will begin construction for three sports stadiums for ski jump, biathlon and cross-country in April this year for completion in October 2007. The 2008 Biathlon World Cup and the 2009 World Championships will be held in the sports stadiums. Q: What will be the benefits of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics if the bid succeeds A: In my opinion, South and North Korea have already united into one in terms of sports. In many international sports events, including the Sydney Summer Olympics, the Busan Asian Games, and the Daegu Universiade, South and North Korean athletes entered the sports stadiums simultaneously. At the same time, we are pushing ahead with constituting a single team of South and North Korea for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. The PyeongChang's hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics, if realized, will also greatly contribute to settling down peace on the Korean peninsula and the world's peace. Q: Would you introduce PyeongChang's competitors for the 2014 Winter Olympics A; At present, seven cities-two in Asia and five in Europe-are engaging in fierce competition. They are PyeongChang, Salzburg of Austria, Almaty of Kazakhstan, Sochi of Russia, Jaca of Spain, Sofia of Bulgaria and Borjomi- Bakuriani of Georgia. All of the cities are powerhouses for winter sports, so competition is expected to be fiercer than in 2010. For instance, Salzburg, Sofia and Jaca are challenging the Winter Olympics for the third time, and Sochi is challenging it for the second time.