[비즈한국] As Jeonbuk State pursues hosting the 2036 Jeonju Olympics, the sports community is turning its attention to the upcoming June 3 local elections. Lee Won-taek, the Democratic Party's candidate for Jeonbuk Provincial Governor, is seen as relatively passive regarding the Olympics. In contrast, candidate Kim Kwan-young, who declared an independent run, is showing a proactive stance toward the Games.
The Democratic Party nominated lawmaker Lee Won-taek as its candidate for Jeonbuk Provincial Governor. Candidate Lee has shown a somewhat passive attitude toward the Jeonju Olympics. He made no specific mention of the Olympics even when he announced his candidacy for governor last October. When asked about the Olympics by reporters at the time, Lee replied, "In the process of consulting with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), I realized that Jeonbuk State had not yet submitted an application for hosting," adding, "I did not include it (in the declaration) because we were still in the process of drafting the application."
Jeonbuk State submitted the Olympic hosting application to the MCST in February this year. Once it passes the MCST's review, it will be finalized as an official national event following the review by the International Event Review Committee of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The Jeonju Olympics are currently in the stage of being reviewed by the MCST.
Although there has been progress on the Jeonju Olympics since the beginning of this year, candidate Lee Won-taek still appears less than enthusiastic. He has not put forward any Olympic-related pledges and has even expressed criticism regarding the way the Olympics are being promoted. In March this year, he posted on social media, "While more than 10 billion won was spent on consumable Olympic promotion budgets, the establishment of a Culture and Tourism Foundation fund was ignored," adding, "It is self-contradictory to claim to promote a 'Cultural Olympics' while neglecting culture and arts."
There are also many skeptical voices within the local community. Jeonju City Council member Kim Yoon-cheol said at a plenary session in March this year, "Looking at the reality, I judge that it is difficult to host an international event like the Olympics under the current plan." Jeonbuk Provincial Council member Lee Soo-jin remarked last October, "There is no guarantee that the Olympics 10 years from now will solve the immediate population and economic problems," adding, "Jeonbuk State's push for the Olympics is not a vision, but 'hope torture' (false hope)." Given this atmosphere, it is not surprising that candidate Lee Won-taek shows a passive stance toward hosting the Games.
Furthermore, President Lee Jae-myung also does not show clear interest in the Jeonju Olympics. Although the construction of Saemangeum International Airport is included in the Lee Jae-myung administration's national agenda, there is no mention of the Jeonju Olympics. In such an atmosphere, analysts suggest that if candidate Lee Won-taek is elected, the Jeonju Olympics are highly likely to lose momentum.
It does not mean that hosting the Jeonju Olympics will be abandoned if candidate Lee Won-taek is elected. In an interview with JTV on April 7, Lee said, "It seems we should inherit the fact that the Olympic candidate site has been designated and bring it to fruition." However, with rival cities such as Doha (Qatar), Istanbul (Turkey), Ahmedabad-New Delhi (India), and Santiago (Chile) already in full swing with preparations, it is realistically not easy for Jeonju, which lacks sufficient preparation, to win the bid. Compared to rival cities, Jeonju City also shows weaknesses in transportation and accommodation facilities (Related article: [Jeonju Olympics: Hopes and Concerns] How ready are we to welcome tourists? A check on transportation and accommodation).
There is a variable. Jeonbuk Provincial Governor Kim Kwan-young declared an independent candidacy in protest against the Democratic Party's nomination decision. Candidate Kim has been proactive regarding the Olympics. During his time as Jeonbuk Provincial Governor, he led the efforts to host the Olympics, and he has recently been directly involved in promoting the Games. During his candidacy announcement on May 7, he emphasized his will to host the Olympics, saying, "The selection of a domestic candidate city for the 2036 Summer Olympics was an event that broke the old prejudice that Jeonbuk could not do it and let us feel that 'if we try, we can do it,'" and added, "I will continue this bold challenge of hosting the 2036 Olympics."
The outcome of the Jeonbuk Provincial Governor election is currently difficult to predict. According to an opinion poll conducted by Hangil Research commissioned by the Saejeonbuk Shinmun for two days starting April 30 on 1,003 Jeonbuk residents using wireless ARS, candidate Lee Won-taek stood at 39.6% and Governor Kim Kwan-young at 36.6% (The sampling error is ±3.4%p at a 95% confidence level; for details, refer to the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission).
Since there are many variables in hosting the Olympics, the failure to win the bid does not necessarily follow if candidate Lee Won-taek is elected, nor is it guaranteed that candidate Kim Kwan-young will succeed if elected. However, as plans and directions are decided according to the will of the head of the local government, the upcoming June 3 local election is expected to be a major variable in the future of the Jeonju Olympic bid.