2018 Winter Olympics Awarded to Pyeongchang, South Korea

The 2018 Winter Olympics will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the International Olympic Committee announced on Wednesday, awarding the games to the city that finished second in the competitions for the 2010 and 2014 winter games. South Korea, which has hosted the Summer Olympics once, built its candidacy for 2018 on a proposal to expand winter sports in the lucrative Asian market. Its budget for 2018 was far more extravagant than rival bids — $1.5 billion for the actual Games and $2 billion to $6 billion for infrastructure projects, according to news reports. The winter games have been held twice before in Asia, in 1968 and 1998, both times in Japan.
Pyeongchang won on the first ballot of a secret vote of delegates of the I.O.C., prevailing over Munich and Annecy, France. Voting took place at a general assembly of the organization in Durban, South Africa.

Source: www.nytimes.com...

Although I am Happy that South Korea is being given this opportunity and the fact that this can bring a needed economic boost. I also realize that the Korean war is still trickling along. The DMZ is still in place with the conflict with North Korea. With the way North Korea has developed and is continuing to develop its Nuclear capabilities, causing stress in that part of Asia, I can't help but wonder what this decision is going to do in the political arena, and I question South Koreans ability to ensure the safety of the worlds athletes. Not to mention the feelings of those that served in the Korean war. Can this actually be a separation of politics and the good will of the Olympic games?

Assuming of course 2012 comes and goes without a hitch.

reply to post by IPILYA


I wouldn't worry too much. The Seoul summer games came and went with no more controversy than any other Olympics. Will NK talk trash? Yep. Will some people be irked by one thing or another about SK? Yep. Will people still travel at ridiculously high speeds down ice coated runs? Yep.

They also hosted the 2002 World Cup with Japan and that was fine too.

So yeah, I don't think there will be a problem. North Korea might whinge a bit, but other than that I think it will be fine.

Will there be a world to host Korea, in 2018?

It's all good. Canada can kick ass in the WO no matter where it's played.

Seriously, I'm surprised at this. SK just hosted an Olympics. Granted a summer one but aren't there other countries that have been waiting a helluva lot longer?