Seoul mayor open to any North Jeolla joint 2036 Olympics hosting proposal
In short
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said on Oct 7 that he would accept any form of joint hosting proposal from North Jeolla for the 2036 Summer Olympics. North Jeolla, chosen in February last year as South Korea’s domestic candidate, recently turned to a joint bid because it lacks adequate lodging, transport and venues. Oh said no concrete working-level plan has arrived from the province, and that the International Olympic Committee will judge any bid separately.
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Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said on Oct 7 that he would accept any form of joint hosting proposal from North Jeolla for the 2036 Summer Olympics, telling a press conference at Seoul City Hall that there is no reason to refuse if the province asks to co-host. He said he would not attach conditions or demand changes as a precondition for joining a joint bid. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
North Jeolla was chosen in February last year as South Korea’s domestic candidate for the 2036 Games, taking 49 of 61 votes against Seoul’s 11. The province recently shifted toward a joint bid after concluding that lodging, transport and venue conditions were insufficient for hosting alone, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Yonhap reported. [ 2 , 3 ]
North Jeolla Governor Lee Won-taek met Oh at Seoul City Hall on the 7th of last month and proposed co-hosting, according to Yonhap, which reported that Seoul asked for major events including the opening and closing ceremonies to be held in the capital. Oh said his interest was not in where the ceremonies are held but in where the athletes’ village and media village would be built, and that no concrete working-level proposal had yet come from North Jeolla, leaving Seoul unable to settle its position. [ 2 , 3 ]
Oh said the International Olympic Committee would judge any bid on cost and on how smoothly the Games could be operated, and questioned whether the IOC would favour teams travelling two to three hours between Seoul and Jeonju. He said he had asked the central government to prepare a well-organised proposal for North Jeolla, adding that winning the IOC’s selection as host is a separate question from domestic arrangements. [ 2 , 3 ]
Oh also pointed to Seoul’s existing Olympic legacy from the 1988 Games, saying a Jamsil sports MICE remodelling targeted for 2031 would renew almost all Olympic-related facilities in the city and that the IOC was aware of this. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The remarks set the terms for a possible South Korean joint bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics, which would have to satisfy the International Olympic Committee rather than only domestic politics. Because North Jeolla was already named the country’s domestic candidate, a deal with Seoul would determine how the bid is organised and where facilities and housing are built. The documents give no indication that the IOC has taken any position on the proposal.
Key facts
- Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said he would accept any joint hosting proposal from North Jeolla for the 2036 Summer Olympics. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Oh spoke at a press conference marking 100 days in office at Seoul City Hall on Oct 7. [ 2 , 3 ]
- North Jeolla was selected in February last year as South Korea’s domestic candidate for the 2036 Games, receiving 49 of 61 votes against Seoul’s 11. [ 2 , 3 ]
- North Jeolla recently shifted toward a joint bid, citing insufficient lodging, transport and venue conditions for hosting alone. [ 2 , 3 ]
- North Jeolla Governor Lee Won-taek proposed joint hosting to Oh at Seoul City Hall on the 7th of last month, according to Yonhap. [ 3 ]
- Oh said no concrete working-level proposal had come from North Jeolla, making it difficult for Seoul to settle its position. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Oh said the IOC’s choice of host is a separate matter from domestic arrangements and asked the central government to prepare a well-organised plan for North Jeolla. [ 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Oh Se-hoon said he would accept any form of joint hosting proposal for the 2036 Olympics from North Jeolla. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Oh made the remarks at a press conference marking 100 days in office at Seoul City Hall on Oct 7. [ 2 , 3 ]
- North Jeolla was chosen as the domestic candidate for the 2036 Olympics in February last year, defeating Seoul. [ 2 , 3 ]
- North Jeolla turned toward a joint bid because conditions for lodging, transport and venues were judged insufficient for a sole bid. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Oh said a concrete, working-level joint hosting plan had not yet been submitted by North Jeolla. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The specific form a joint hosting arrangement would take, including how events and facilities would be divided between Seoul and North Jeolla. Both outlets say no working-level proposal has been made, so the shape of any joint bid is not yet defined.
- Whether Seoul would host the opening and closing ceremonies. Yonhap reports, without naming a source for the arrangement, that Seoul asked for major events to be held in the capital, while Oh said his interest is not in the ceremonies but in where the athletes’ and media villages would be built.
- Whether the International Olympic Committee would favour a bid split between Seoul and Jeonju. Oh raised the question himself and no document records an IOC position.
- Whether the central government will prepare the plan Oh requested for North Jeolla. The documents record only Oh’s request, with no response from the government or from North Jeolla.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Newsis publishes a flash report that Oh Se-hoon said he would accept any form of joint hosting proposal for the 2036 Olympics. [ 1 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun publishes its report from the 100-day press conference at Seoul City Hall. [ 2 ]
- Yonhap publishes its report with the domestic candidate vote tally and details of the joint hosting discussions. [ 3 ]