South Korea emerged as a potential host for the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup late last week after the country’s president threw his support behind efforts to bring the tournament to the East Asian nation.
President Yoon Suk-yeol reportedly came to a decision on the matter after attending a dinner meeting with athletes and officials according to Reuters. However, the full scope of the country’s bid for the tournament remains unclear.
South Korea’s hosting credentials would prove tough to beat for any potential competitors. The country held the 2018 Winter Olympics, 2015 Summer Universiade, and 2014 Asian Games all within the last decade.
They are no stranger to hosting major international football tournaments as well. The country co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with Japan, where they produced their best result to date, a 4th place.
South Korea also held the second edition of the AFC Asian Cup in 1960. Victories over South Vietnam, Israel, and Taiwan propelled them to the title, their last at the continental tournament.
It’s unclear if South Korea will face any formal competition in the contest to replace China as host of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. The Japan Football Association (JFA) was informally approached as a potential replacement according to Reuters, but the country has yet to confirm formal interest in the event.
The race to find a new host for the event began after China voluntarily gave up the rights to host the tournament earlier this year over concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic. The relinquishment of hosting rights to the tournament followed a string of high profile event postponements in the country, including the 2022 Asian Games and 2021 Summer Universiade.
While there may still be some mystery as to the true field of candidates to replace China as host, the situation will soon become more clear as the AFC’s deadline to declare an interest in hosting the event approaches. Countries have until June 30th to express an interest to the AFC.
The tournament is due to kickoff next summer, which means the clock is certainly ticking for a replacement host to be found in time to salvage the event.
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