New Korean President to Support PyeongChang

(ATR) PyeongChang 2018 tells Around the Rings that President-elect Geun-hye Park will be a strong advocate for the Games.

In a Thursday statement from POCOG President Jin Sun Kim, the organizing committee congratulates Park on her election Wednesday.

"We expect our preparation efforts to be reinforced by Park’s election, as she has always been a great supporter and advocate from the beginning of PyeongChang’s Olympic journey," Kim tells ATR.

"She was an active member of a special advisory group for the ruling Grand National Party’s Olympic bid support committee. Also, during her presidential election campaign, Park pledged to assist in any way possible to make sure that the Olympic Games in PyeongChang leave a lasting legacy for Gangwon Province.

"POCOG is now looking forward to working closely with the incoming Park Geun-hye administration, and we believe that such cooperation will help bring about fruitful results to PyeongChang’s hosting of the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games."

Staging the Games has long been a national priority for South Korea, receiving backing from the highest levels of Korean business and government.

Park claimed victory on Wednesday over rival Moon Jae-in. She will become South Korea’s first female president.

"I will be the president of the nation who keeps pledges," she said in her acceptance speech to supporters in Seoul.

"This is considered a victory for people who want to overcome crisis and revive the economy. I will never forget the will of the people who believed in me wherever I went during the election campaign.

"I will start an era of happiness in the nation."

Park will assume office in February 2013.

Written by Ed Hula III.

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