South Korea's North Jeolla Province Becomes Candidate Region for 2036 Olympics BidSouth Korea's North Jeolla Province Becomes Candidate Region for 2036 Olympics Bid

Date: Sunday, March 2, 2025

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North Jeolla Province in South Korea has defeated the capital city of Seoul by 49 votes to 11 to become the candidate region for South Korea's bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics.

According to the Korea Herald, Kim Kwan - young, the governor of North Jeolla Province, said, "We did it. We created a miracle. The support from the residents gave us the strength. I want to thank the sister cities that shared the dream with us. The real competition starts now, and we will embark on the journey to win the final bid. If we stand united on the way forward, we will surely succeed."

The selection process included 45 - minute presentations by North Jeolla Province and Seoul in front of the evaluation committee of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), followed by a 15 - minute Q&A session. Then, officials from the national sports federations of summer and winter sports projects voted.

Seoul has hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics. South Korea is aiming to become the seventh country to host the Summer Olympics multiple times, after the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and Greece. South Korea also hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangwon Province in the east. PyeongChang held the snow and sliding events, while Gangwon Province hosted the ice events.

Although Seoul has the advantages of superior infrastructure, the ability to utilize existing sports facilities, experience in hosting the Olympics and other sports events, and its proximity to Incheon International Airport, the main gateway of South Korea, the voters still chose the opportunity to develop the area outside Seoul.

Governor Kim Kwan - young said in his presentation, "Nowadays, 88.5% of sports events in South Korea are held outside the Seoul metropolitan area. Australia has hosted three Summer Olympics in three different cities - Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. This is to ensure the balanced development of the country."

North Jeolla Province's bid for the Olympics still needs the approval of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Once approved, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee will submit the official bid document of the province to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The newly - elected president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee has expressed support for North Jeolla Province. Ryu Seung - min said he plans to cooperate with North Jeolla Province to help it win the bid. North Jeolla Province will compete with Istanbul in Turkey, Santiago in Chile, Indonesia, and India for the right to host the 2036 Olympics. It is expected that other countries, including Egypt, will also join the competition. IOC member Grabar - Kitarovic said that the final decision will not be made before 2026.