Jeonbuk State’s ambition to host the 2036 Summer Olympics is not just for the province itself, but also reflects a national aspiration to turn the global K-culture boom into a sustainable industry, Gov. Kim Kwan-young told a Seoul forum on Wednesday.
“With K-pop, dramas and films enjoying worldwide popularity, we should further diversify and specialize Korea’s cultural sectors as we bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, so that we can proudly showcase them to the world when the opportunity comes,” Kim said at the Global Business Forum organized by the Herald Media Group.
Jeonbuk State, formerly North Jeolla Province, was selected in February as Korea’s candidate city for the 2036 Summer Olympics after winning 49 out of 61 votes at the general assembly of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. It defeated Seoul, which received 11 votes, while one vote was declared invalid.
During the bidding process, Jeonbuk introduced a new paradigm of a “multiregional Olympics,” where different provincial cities beyond Seoul would each host specific events.
The plan includes holding track and field events in Daegu, archery and swimming in Gwangju, gymnastics in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, tennis in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province, and surfing in Goheung, South Jeolla Province.
“This model will enhance Korea’s international standing while promoting balanced regional development across the country,” the governor said.
Kim noted that hosting the 2036 Games would stand as a symbolic chapter in Korea’s modern history.
“In 1936, during the Japanese colonial period, South Korean marathon legend Sohn Kee-chung won a gold medal at the Berlin Olympics while competing under the Japanese flag. In the decades that followed, Korea rose from the ashes, achieving industrialization, democratization, and hosting both the Olympics and the World Cup,” Kim said.
“If the Olympic flame burns once again in Korea a century after (Sohn’s historic victory), it would be a significant milestone in Korea’s national growth.”
Introducing various projects underway in the province in addition to the Olympic bid, Kim underscored Jeonbuk’s determination to take on new challenges.
“Jeonbuk has long relied on an agriculture-centered economic model, which left the province lagging behind in the era of rapid industrialization. We are pursuing bold innovations that no other region has tried, seeking to set a new direction for the nation," he said.
In August, the province was designated a regional hub for the government’s 1 trillion won ($691 million) national project to establish a “physical AI” cluster. Physical AI refers to AI integrated into physical systems, such as robots and autonomous vehicles.
With government funding, Jeonbuk plans to form a consortium of universities, research institutes and companies that will establish facilities such as commercial autonomous vehicle testbeds and smart farms across several of its 14 cities and counties.
“We aim to attract companies and research institutions to Jeonbuk and develop it into a global hub of innovation,” he said.
Following Kim’s address, Rep. Lim Oh-kyung of the ruling Democratic Party echoed the governor’s message about embracing challenges, reflecting on her past as an athlete.
“For athletes who play ball sports, a flying ball is both an opportunity and a target. You can only succeed by facing it head-on,” said Lim, 54, once a star handball player who entered politics in 2020 after being recruited by the Democratic Party of Korea, and was first elected to the 21st National Assembly that year. She secured a second term in last year’s general election.
“As someone who has also been in a leadership position, I believe true leadership lies in knowing each teammate’s strengths and weaknesses and supporting them from behind so that everyone gets a chance to take on challenges, which generates powerful synergy,” she said.
Lim was a central figure in the national handball team’s golden era, from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where Korea claimed gold, to the silver medals it won at the 1996 Atlanta and 2004 Athens Games.
Her team’s silver-medal run at the Athens Olympics was later dramatized in director Lim Soon-rye’s 2008 film “Forever the Moment,” which drew more than 4 million viewers and sparked nationwide interest in handball, a sport that had long remained on the sidelines in Korea.
During her talk, she expressed strong support for Jeonbuk’s bid to host the Olympics, emphasizing the importance of carrying on the spirit of the APEC Summit held in Gyeongju last week.
“The APEC Summit in Gyeongju succeeded because the whole nation stood together. Leadership will, of course, be crucial, but Jeonbuk’s Olympic dream can only be realized with the support of the people,” she said.
Organized by The Korea Herald and Herald Business, the ongoing Global Business Forum gathers diplomats from 29 countries and leading figures across industries every Wednesday under the theme of “Designing the Future” to exchange insights on emerging global business trends and innovations shaping the future.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
