South Korea races to get ready in time for winter Olympics

SEOUL - For South Korea the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games was the nation's coming out party after more than two decades of rapid economic growth. The 2002 football World Cup, co-hosted with Japan, provided confirmation of the country's global status.

In 2018, when the Winter Olympics takes place in South Korea, the country will join an elite club of nations to have hosted the three sporting tournaments. This time, though, there will be a major difference. Instead of taking place in the capital, like the summer Olympics, or nationwide like the World Cup, the winter games will be held in Pyeongchang, a remote city in the sparsely populated northeastern province of Gangwon.

The hope is that Gangwon will get the kind of boost from holding a high-profile international tournament that Seoul received nearly 30 years ago. The mountainous province is the only one in the country physically capable of hosting the Winter Olympics, but it is relatively underdeveloped, with a population of only 1.5 million.

A significant aspect of the initial bid focused on the potential economic and branding benefits that the Olympics could bring to the province. However, doubts have already emerged about whether local government organisations have sufficient experience to organise such a big tournament effectively alongside private sector partners.

"Pyeongchang 2018 will elevate the brand name of Korea and Gangwon province, and boost the pride of the younger generation," said Sung Baik-you, spokesperson for the Pyeongchang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic Games (POCOG). "We will put Pyeongchang's name on the map," said Sung. "With the improved transport infrastructure ... Gangwon province could be developed."

Click here to read the full story.