The JoongAng Daily reports the Busan city government said Monday that it intends to bid for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. The bid was launched at a convention held at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center on Monday evening, attended by Busan Mayor Hur Nam-sik and Kim Jong-yul, co-chairman of the 2020 Busan Olympic Citizen Organization.
Kim said in a speech, “we will truly be able to host the 2020 Summer Olympics in Busan if the 13 million people who live in the south-eastern region of the Korean Peninsula work together. The Busan Olympics will lead Korea to become an advanced country and turn Busan into a renowned international port city”.
Mayor Hur said, “the 2020 Busan Summer Olympics will be a turning point for Korea, allowing it to strengthen its efforts at unification and making it one of the word’s advanced countries. Let us spread our zeal for the Busan Summer Olympics bid throughout the nation and once again experience the glory of the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics”.
Busan’s Mayor first announced the city’s desire to bid for the 2020 Summer Games in November 2005.
