Pyeongchang is bidding for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and a decision on the 2010 host city will be made in July.
According to reforms instituted following the Salt Lake City bribery scandal, International Olympic Committee (IOC) members are not allowed to visit cities bidding for Olympic Games.
But eight members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will visit Seoul for the 30th anniversary of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) on May 28, just weeks before the July 2 vote.
At a press conference WTF president Kim Un-yong said, “all the IOC members who are invited to the ceremony are high-ranking officials of the WTF…”
When questioned about the timing of their visit to South Korea just as Pyeongchang is bidding for the 2010 Games, Kim told the Korea Times “their visit is not related with the bid. There will be no contact between IOC members and those from the bid committee or the Korean Olympic Committee”.
He added, “it’s rather good timing to celebrate the 30th birthday of the WTF. The anniversary is an important juncture in the history of taekwondo as an official Olympic sport”.
