Jeonbuk Gives Up Solo Bid for 2036 Olympics, Proposes Co-Hosting with Seoul

Jeonbuk, the domestic candidate site for the 2036 Summer Olympics, has announced that it will give up its bid to host the games alone, casting a red light on South Korea's domestic hosting efforts.

Jeonbuk recently proposed a co-hosting plan to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and in response, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held an international evaluation committee meeting on September 16 to suspend its deliberation on Jeonbuk's bid to host the 2036 Jeonju Summer Olympics.

An official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated, "We suspended the review of the hosting plan as Jeonbuk expressed its intention to consider a co-hosting arrangement."

In February of last year, Jeonbuk secured 49 out of 61 votes in the domestic candidate city selection vote for the 2036 Olympics, beating Seoul, which received 11 votes, to become the final domestic candidate.

However, Jeonbuk recently concluded that it would be difficult to host the Olympics alone due to unfavorable conditions required for the event, such as accommodation, transportation, and stadiums, prompting a shift toward co-hosting.

Jeonbuk Governor Lee Won-taek met with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon at Seoul City Hall on September 7 to propose co-hosting, and Seoul is reportedly demanding that major events, including the opening and closing ceremonies, be held in Seoul.

Jeonbuk is currently holding internal discussions regarding Seoul's demands.

With Jeonbuk giving up its solo bid, South Korea's challenge to host the 2036 Olympics is increasingly likely to return to square one.

An official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated, "If the hosting plan changes fundamentally, the Olympic bid must, in principle, go through the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee's public bidding process from the beginning."

Time is running short.

The International Olympic Committee plans to shortlist prospective host cities for the Olympics in March of next year.

Afterwards, entering the targeted dialogue phase with prospective host cities in 2028, the host city will be finalized in mid-2029 through the IOC's comprehensive evaluation and a vote by IOC members.

Doha, Qatar, and Ahmedabad, India, have also expressed their intentions to bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics.

Representative Chung Yeon-wook of the People Power Party, a member of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, stated on September 18, "If Seoul does not accept the negotiation proposal, Jeonbuk may request a re-deliberation from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism or consider abandoning the bid itself."

He added, "This is a predictable outcome," pointing out that, "During last year's parliamentary audit by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, I pointed out that Jeonju's Olympic hosting plan did not meet the IOC's host selection criteria, but Jeonbuk only dragged its feet without making fundamental improvements."
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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