Presidential Office: "No Consideration Given to Hosting the 2036 Olympics"

"A National Issue Requiring Procedures Through Various Reviews"

On the 16th, one day before President Yoon Seok-yeol's 100th day in office, the Presidential Office building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul is shown. President Yoon, emphasizing the elimination of authoritarianism, moved the stage of state affairs from the former Blue House to Yongsan. With the president's office relocated to Yongsan, the Blue House has been fully opened to the public. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The Presidential Office denied on the 17th reports claiming that preliminary work has begun to host the 2036 Summer Olympics.

The Presidential Office spokesperson stated in a press release that day, "The content reported has never been reviewed by the Presidential Office or the government."

They added, "Pursuing the Olympics is a national matter that requires asking the public for their opinions and following procedures through various reviews at the government level, including analyzing the feasibility of success and cost-effectiveness."

President Yoon is scheduled to host a dinner at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the same day, inviting key figures from the international sports community such as Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Robin Mitchell, Acting President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), who came to Korea to attend the 26th ANOC General Assembly in Seoul.

Due to this, it was also reported that President Yoon would express his intention to bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics to President Bach at this event and seek support.

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government from the 20th to the 25th of last month targeting 1,000 residents of Seoul showed that 72.8% of respondents were in favor of hosting the Summer Olympics.

Citizens cited expected benefits if Seoul successfully hosts the Olympics, including revitalization of foreign tourism (81.4%), improvement of sports infrastructure (80.7%), and enhancement of Seoul's brand value (80.5%).

On the other hand, concerns were raised about "economic losses due to large-scale deficits (43.8%)," "utilization of stadiums after the event (23.7%)," and "traffic congestion issues (23%)."

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