Pusan’s Mayor Hur Nam-sik formally announced Tuesday in a press conference at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center that Pusan is bidding for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. When asked if the city was willing to co-host with North Korea the Mayor said he is willing to make utmost efforts to realize that goal, but the city doesn’t have a detailed plan on co-hosting the Games and hasn’t had contact with North Korean authorities about the idea.
“In principle, as the mayor, I have a passion and the opinion to co-host, North and South, the Summer Olympics in 2020. But this has to be on the condition there is progress in North-South Korean relations”, he said.
He said if the two Korea’s co-host “that will be a significantly meaningful step toward peace on the Korean Peninsula and world peace”.
The Mayor said, “Pusan has already successfully hosted many international events including the 2002 Asian Games and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. It shows that we are qualified to host any international event and are equipped with infrastructure and human resources”.
The Mayor said the city plans to launch a preparation committee for the bid, adding it plans to commission private research institutes, including the Busan Development Institute, to conduct a feasibility study of bid plans and specific tactics.
Hur said Pusan has a good chance of winning the bid because the Olympic Games normally go from continent to continent, and he pointed out one European country and one North American country are expected to host the Games in 2012 and 2016.
“China is scheduled to host the 2008 Olympic Games so I believe Pusan, which already has hosted the Asian Games, is one of the strongest candidates. In fact I don’t worry much about domestic competition as other cities are more focusing on the Asian Games”.
The host city of the 2020 Summer Games will be selected in 2013.
