At an inquiry into IOC member Kim Un-yong’s participation in Pyeongchang losing its bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, which was won by Vancouver, lawmaker Lee Won-hyung of the opposition Grand National Party raised speculation that Kim had asked his close IOC members to skip the IOC vote held in Prague, lowering Pyeongchang’s chances of winning the Winter Games, reports the Korea Herald.
Lee said, “according to a document by the bidding committee, three of the five IOC members that didn’t attend the vote were pro-Kim, which leads to the conclusion that he had asked (them) not to vote for Pyeongchang”.
Bid committee head Gong Ro-myung, Culture and Tourism Minister Lee Change-dong and Gangwon Gov. Kim Jin-sun, were summoned to testify at the meeting.
Another opposition lawmaker questioned Kim’s influence in trying to aid the release of his son under Interpol arrest on charges of unlawfully acquiring U.S. residence and making false statements.
Kim has denied that he tried to sabotage the host city bid in order to be elected to the IOC vice presidency.
He said, “although I sent a letter for my candidacy (for the IOC position) to Jacques Rogge in April, I didn’t do any election campaigning until the final decision (for the host city) was made”.
He also insisted that people in Gangwon Province (where Pyeongchang is located) are making him the centre of a witch-hunt because they know of a note signed by himself, Gov. Kim and former North Cholla Gov. You Jong-geun made previously that Pyeongchang would bid for the Winter Olympics in 2010 and Muju (in North Cholla province) in 2014.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that officials in Muju said Wednesday the village will seek to host the 2014 Winter Games and urged Pyeongchang to help its campaign by officially giving up the race.
