The Chungcheong region has officially launched a promotion team in hopes of hosting the 2027 World University Games.

Daejeon, Sejong, and North and South Chungcheong provinces founded an organization to bid for the games in 2027, and North Chungcheong Gov. Lee Si-jong has been tapped as its leader.

Experts who were part of the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade Organizing Committee will also be on the 2027 World University Games promotion team, Lee said in a press release.

The four communities in the Chungcheong area plan to work together to support the joint committee both financially and administratively.

The 2027 Summer World University Games Chungcheong Joint Attraction Committee held its inaugural meeting in Sejong on April 5 with the participation of sports federations and local university presidents. At that meeting, the committee expressed great hopes of hosting the games in 2027 and recalled past events in South Korea that met with great success.

The 1997 Winter Universiade took place in Muju and Jeonju. The 2003 Summer Universiade took place in Daegu. The 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju was praised for its cost effectiveness. If the nation hosts the 2027 World University Games, it will have hosted the Summer World University Games every 12 years since 2003.

The World University Games are the second-largest global event for student athletes, behind only the Olympics. Both the winter and summer games are held in odd years.

By Park Jun-hee (junheee@heraldcorp.com)