73% of Seoul Citizens Hope for Summer Olympics Rebid... Economic Losses Are a Concern

More than 7 out of 10 Agree on Olympic Rebid...Sports Community Voices for Seoul's Solo Bid for Summer Olympics
Seoul City: "Minimizing Facility Investment Possible by Utilizing Existing Venues and Shared Use of 경기 and Incheon Facilities"

Survey on Seoul Citizens' Perceptions of Hosting International Sports Events (Opinions on Reapplying to Host the Olympics).

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] More than seven out of ten Seoul citizens expressed a desire to host the Olympics again.

On the 17th, Seoul City surveyed citizens' opinions on hosting the Summer Olympics once more since the '1988 Seoul Olympics,' and 72.8% of respondents wished for Seoul to re-host the Olympics. This survey was conducted by Global Research from the 20th to the 25th over six days, targeting 1,000 adult men and women aged 18 to 69 residing in Seoul, with a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points.

Since the failure to host the 2032 Olympics, voices in the sports community have emerged through various forums advocating that Seoul should independently host the Olympics to eliminate uncertainties. At a forum held last August, organized by the Korea Sports Industry Association under the theme "The Importance of Sports Diplomacy to Strengthen the Global Competitiveness of the Domestic Sports Industry," the opinion was presented that Seoul should bid for and host the "2036 Seoul Olympics" to enhance sports diplomacy capabilities.

According to the perception survey conducted by Seoul City, if Seoul successfully hosts the Olympics, the most beneficial aspects identified were 'activation of foreign tourism' at 81.4%, 'improvement of sports infrastructure' at 80.7%, and 'enhancement of Seoul's brand value' at 80.5%. The greatest concern was 'economic losses due to large-scale deficits,' accounting for 43.8%, followed by 'post-event utilization of stadiums' (23.7%) and 'traffic congestion issues' (23.0%).

The estimated costs associated with hosting the Olympics ranged from 5.5 trillion KRW (1996 Atlanta) to 68 trillion KRW (2008 Beijing). Seoul City plans to minimize 'facility investment,' which accounts for nearly half of the hosting costs, by maximizing the use of international sports facilities built for the 1988 Olympics and jointly using sports facilities owned by Incheon, Gyeonggi Province, universities, and the private sector.

After reviewing the availability of venues meeting international standards for the 28 Olympic sports, Seoul City found that 13 sports could use existing venues, 9 sports could use venues located in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, and 6 sports (2 venues) would require new construction. Regarding facility investment, the cost of building the athletes' village, which accounts for half of the investment, is expected to be reduced through private investment projects utilizing housing redevelopment projects.

Additionally, Seoul plans to minimize hosting costs by considering the introduction of new Olympic sports such as open urban sports favored by younger generations, including skateboarding and breakdancing, which do not require large-scale facility investments.

Choi Kyung-joo, Director of the Seoul Tourism and Sports Bureau, stated, "If Seoul hosts the Olympics once again, it is expected to provide an opportunity for revitalizing Seoul's economy, enhancing urban competitiveness, and marking a new leap forward for the Republic of Korea." He added, "Under the current circumstances, Seoul plans to pursue the Olympic bid independently but remains open to the possibility of a joint North-South Korea hosting if conditions permit."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.