President Roh: Pyeongchang Will Improve Inter-korean Peace

[Gangwon]

Roh says PyeongChang's Olympic hosting will improve inter-Korean peace

July 02, 2007

Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said Sunday (July 1, Guatemala time) that PyeongChang's success in hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics would significantly accelerate peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula.

In a joint interview with the AP, AFP and Reuters, the president said that a successful bid by PyeongChang would enhance chances for the two Koreas to field a unified team at the Winter Olympic Games in 2014.

"By 2014, inter-Korean relations would be considerably stabilized, offering a very stable atmosphere for PyeongChang to host the Olympic Games. The Olympic spirit of peace and cooperation abounding in the two Koreas would send a strong message of peace throughout the world," Roh said.

"I'm convinced that the two Koreas will march jointly at the opening of the 2014 Winter Olympics and field a unified team in all events. A unified team would mark a new milestone in inter-Korean relations."

Roh's interview with the news agencies was held at a hotel in downtown Guatemala City shortly after his arrival in this Central American country, the venue of this year's general conference of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) slated to open later this week.

IOC members will select the host city of the 2014 Winter Games by secret vote in their July 4 session. PyeongChang, a Korean mountain resort, is competing with Salzburg of Austria and Sochi of Russia.

Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer arrived in Guatemala on Sunday for some final lobbying ahead of Wednesday's vote, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is also due here on Tuesday.

Roh said he finds it difficult to predict the final outcome of the upcoming IOC vote.

"I had run in seven elections before becoming the president, but it was impossible each time to predict the winner. I'm just doing my best this time," said the president.

"In Korea, the whole nation is determined to back PyeongChang's Olympic bid. The Korean people are particularly affectionate toward the Olympics. They even participated in the Olympic games during the 1950-53 Korean War. I just came to deliver the Korean people's enthusiasm towards PyeongChang's Olympic bid to the IOC members."

Roh stressed that the competition with Russia and Austria will boil down to each prospective host's national capability to successfully host the Olympic games.

"I'll focus on delivering the Korean people's pledge to successfully host the Winter Olympics. It won't be a competition among heads of state," he said.

Referring to Korea's successful bids to host the 2011 World Athletics Championships and the 2014 Asian Games in the past months, Roh said, "The recent successes are attributed to international confidence in Korea's capability to handle international sports events. We regard the development of sports as an important national development strategy.

Some key points in the article:

1) by having the Winter Games in Gangwon Province, a region which is shared by both North and South Korea, the Olympic spirit of peace and cooperation by the two Koreas would send a strong message of peace throughout the world

2) the Korean people are strongly passionate about the Olympic Games, having even participated in the Olympics during the 1950-53 Korean War

3) staging other international sports events like the Asian Games is a part of the development of sports in the country, a priority for Korea. However, while the Asian Games would develop summer sports, the Winter Olympics would naturally develop winter sports in Korea, which is much more needed

[Gangwon]

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Another article of President Roh Moo-Hyun expressing his and the entire country's support for the PyeongChang bid:

Roh campaigns in support of PyeongChang's Olympic bid

Roh campaigns in support of PyeongChang's Olympic bid

July 02, 2007

Korean President Roh Moo-hyun arrived in Guatemala on Sunday (July 1, Guatemala time) to back PyeongChang's bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics at the annual general conference of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that opens here later this week.

IOC members will gather in this Central American country to select the host city of the 2014 Winter Games in a secret vote in their July 4 session. PyeongChang, a Korean mountain resort, is competing with Salzburg of Austria and Sochi of Russia.

Shortly after his arrival here, Roh held a press conference with AP, Reuters, AFP and other leading news agencies to speak about his plan to promote PyeongChang to IOC members and the outlook for the July 4 vote.

Roh then met over dinner with Han Seung-soo, chairman of the 2014 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee, Kim Jung-kil, president of the Korean Olympic Committee, and other Korean officials to discuss support strategies for PyeongChang.

At the opening of the 119th annual meeting of IOC members on Wednesday, Roh will deliver a speech in support of PyeongChang, declaring the Korean government's determination to give its full support to the Korean bid city, presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon said.

Prior to the IOC meeting, Roh will hold a summit with Guatemalan President Oscar Berger Monday to discuss enhancing bilateral economic and commercial ties and other issues of mutual concern, Cheon said.

Roh has engaged in brisk diplomatic activities over the past year to enlist more support for PyeongChang, stressing that having the world's only divided country host the Winter Games would help promote Olympic ideals and contribute to peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

"Roh will try to maximize PyeongChang's chances of winning the Olympic bid by attending the opening ceremony of the IOC meeting, PyeongChang's presentation session and various other events. He will clearly display the Seoul government's willingness to back PyeongChang and show the Korean people's strong enthusiasm toward the Olympics," the spokesman said.

Roh said in Seattle on Saturday he is convinced PyeongChang will emerge victorious.

According to wire reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer are also traveling to Guatemala this week to back the Olympic bids of Sochi and Salzburg, respectively.