PyeongChang, South Korea selected as the Host City for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games

On the evening of July 6th, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, announced the host city of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games which will be held in 2018. The announcement ended a two year long process of choosing the next Host City and was made at the 123rd IOC Session in Durban. The applicant cities for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games were Munich (Germany), Annecy (France), and PyeongChang (Korea). At the session, each city was given 45 minutes to present their bid and 15 for questions from the IOC members at the end. President Lee Myung-bak delivered the 45 minute speech completely in English.

During February 16-19, 2011, the IOC Evaluation Commission for the 2018 Games led by IOC member Gunilla Lindberg, visited PyeongChang, South Korea. As presented in PyeongChang 2018's bid, the motto was "New Horizons." The goal of bringing the 2018 Olympic Games to PyeongChang, South Korea was for the Gangwon Province to become the new winter sports hub of Asia. Since the majority of Asia's population is youth, the bid aimed to help introduce winter sports, which are traditionally not popular in Korea.

After losing their bids for both the 2010 Winter Olympic Games (held in Vancouver, BC) and the 2014 Winter Olympic Games (to be held in Sochi, Russia), South Korea instated the "Dream Programme." The "Dream Programme" provides opportunities to experience winter sports to youth in countries that typically have limited access. Since both losses, PyeongChang has concentrated on building up its winter sports infrastructure for the growing Asian winter sports market.

Korea was the second nation to host the Olympics in Asia when they hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. In 1999, the Gangwon Province, home to PyeongChang, hosted the 1999 Gangwon Asian Games.

PyeongChang is home to approximately 3.6 million Korean skiers every year and is the third largest city in South Korea. The city also attracts an average of 150,000 skiing tourists each year. PyeongChang gained the support of the Government and the Korean people with its two previous bids and this year, PyeongChang achieved the support of over 90% of the Korean population. In May, top Korean artists Girl's Generation, CN Blue, Insooni, and more performed at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Concert to support PyeongChang's bid.

Tonight, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, announced that PyeongChang, South Korea will be the host city of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games which will be held in 2018.

The 2018 Winter Olympic Games will be held from February 9-25, 2018. The 2018 Paralympic Winter Games will be held from March 9-18, 2018.

Congratulations to the city of PyeongChang for finally winning their Olympic bid in one vote!

source:

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