A banner measuring five metres by eight metres depicting blurred dancers and a figure skater that reads “2010 Pyeongchang in Korea”, is very prominent in the centre of Salt Lake City.
Yeon-Gil Jung of the Pyeongchang Olympic Games Bid Committee in Gangwon province, said the banner did not break IOC rules. “We just want to show people our potential ability to host the Games. It’s not breaking the rules at all. We think its information, not a big exhibition”.
According to Article 5 of the IOC’s rules of conduct applicable to cities wishing to organize Olympic Games, “all forms of promotion or publicity at an international level, including newspaper or magazine articles or television programmes are forbidden to Applicant Cities. All forms of publicity at an international level are forbidden to Candidate Cities”.
Article 7 says that “applicant cities must not organize or participate in any events or meetings outside their national territory. Candidate cities must not, in any circumstances, organize exhibitions or receptions, public or private social events, in relation to the candidature outside their country”.
Inside the South Korean office around the corner from the Vancouver bid office are high-tech displays of back-lit photographs, showing proposed Olympic facilities in Pyeongchang. They include depictions of all the venues, from downhill skiing to bobsleigh and luge.
John Furlong, chief operating officer for Vancouver 2010 said, “I don’t know what my view of it is. I suspect there will be some discussion about it. I don’t know if it’s going to (be) viewed as a violation”.
The Vancouver bid team was told that the IOC forbade selling of their bid, said Furlong. The rules specifically banned hospitality suites, receptions – and banners.
There are three posters outside the South Koreans’ office, including one from the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, with the Olympic rings and the words ‘rich experience including international games’”.
By comparison, Vancouver’s bid is very low key.
Vancouver 2010 spokesman Sam Corea said members of the team stumbled on the Korean centre Sunday night. He said, “we did a U-turn. We were quite stunned. If you were walking down the street, you’d think, ‘Oh (the Olympics) are in Korea in 2010’”.
Corea said that while Vancouver 2010 would not make any official protest, Canada’s IOC member Charmaine Crooks might decide to lodge a complaint.
