Perhaps too much effort had been poured into the three consecutive International Olympic Committee bidding processes. Once Pyeongchang County was selected as host of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, things appeared to fizzle out amid a (misplaced) sense of euphoria. As the games are scheduled to start on Feb. 9, 2018, there are just 1,000 days left. Moreover, the IOC-imposed mandatory test events where the Olympics facilities are put to actual use to see how they can accommodate all these games are to take place starting from February 2016. This is just nine months away.
And yet, we still have not seen the official mascot of the upcoming games. Nor do we know the art director of the opening and closing ceremonies. Instead, what we hear is the ill-timed episode of a Kenyan man who flew to Pyongyang instead of Pyeongchang due to a confused airline counter staff member in Nairobi. This all seems surreal compared to this time 30 years ago ― when virtually the entire nation was mobilizing for the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
Last Saturday’s “1,000-Days-to-Go” events held in Pyeongchang and Seoul were meant to be an opportunity to bring the preparation process back on track. And the signal is largely positive: The central government is now more actively stepping in and many corporate sponsorships have been pledged. More than anything else, a sense of urgency is now palpable.
The slow-paced preparation so far has been the outcome of the misplaced notion that the upcoming Winter Games are merely Gangwon Province’s own event ― an event of Gangwon, by Gangwon and for Gangwon, so to speak. The central government and other provinces were presumably satisfied with playing the role of sidekick or supporting staff. Coordination among government agencies has not always been seamless. The central government’s declaration of active intervention and direct engagement at the occasion of the 1,000 days event will now bring back Korea’s signature speed and efficiency to the preparation process.
In fact, much of the disarray has been brought about by the concern over the rising costs. The government estimates the total cost of the event to exceed $10 billion. Worse yet, these world-class facilities will be of little use once the games are over. As people would say, however, worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles. There should be ways to use these facilities after the games. By way of example, these can turn into nice winter resort towns so that foreign tourists from other Asian countries can come visit. As the county promised during the bidding process, winter sports athletes of developing countries can come and practice here, which may incentivize international associations to hold competitions here more regularly even after the games. At this juncture, perhaps what is needed is creative thinking, not just worrying.
The PyeongChang Organizing Committee has just announced the slogan of the game as “Passion, Connected.” As much as this phrase describes the spirit of the upcoming event, it is also exactly what the country needs now, watching the countdown clock pass 1,000 days ― “passion” for the whole nation to successfully hold the upcoming event, and “Connected” for robust communication and tight coordination among all entities involved.
The die has been cast. If this is an event that Korea is determined to host anyway, it is better to think positive than negative, and try to take advantage of the rare opportunity. There isn’t much time left. The 1,000 days event is a nice way of creating a positive momentum that should now stay. After the successful Olympics and after the name of Pyeongchang is engraved in the minds of everyone, we won’t have to worry about any further confusion at airport counters.
By Lee Jae-min
Lee Jae-min is an associate professor of law at Seoul National University. ― Ed.
