Gangwon Governor Thinking Big Post-PyeongChang

(ATR) Gangwon Province Governor Choi Moon-Soon says after the PyeongChang Paralympics he wants to "lead inter-Korean exchanges" in both government and local business.

Choi spoke with Around the Rings as Gangwon province finishes up its hosting responsibilities for the 2018 Winter Paralympics. The Paralympics will wrap up this week, ending seven years of hosting commitments for the Games.

After the Paralympics Gangwon Province will go back to the negotiating table with the South Korean national government to sort out legacy plans for three of the 13 Olympic and Paralympic venues. The Gangenung speed skating oval, Gangneung hockey center, and the Jeongseon alpine course remain without concrete plans in place.

"The remaining three facilities to be used by professional athletes are in close consultation with the central government on how to use them," Choi said to ATR. "The mayor of Gangneung expressed his willingness to operate Gangneung skating rink and Hockey Center. We have to go through the discussion once again because the players have made a public request to maintain it."

Choi says does not anticipate the province, one of the poorest in South Korea, will be on the hook for much of the financing of Olympic venues after PyeongChang 2018 ends. He said the national government and the province will "appropriately share the maintenance cost," keeping finances in check.

The PyeongChang 2018 Games were touted as a revival for Gangwon province, as well as a boost to the country’s winter sports tourism industry. Cracks in that theory emerged during the Olympics, when environmentalists questioned the proposed plans for the Jeongseon venue, and ski officials lamented its future.

"There is a high possibility that the 2018 Games will lead to long term financial strain, if not bankruptcy, on the local government," Joo Yu-min, a professor at the National University of Singapore, told the AP before the closing ceremony. "The benefits for local residents are also questionable."

Choi said that during the Games more than five million people have visited Gangwon province. However, a report by the South Korean Justice Ministry said that foreign tourism to the country was down when comparing Feb. 2017 to Feb. 2018, due to a lack of foreign visitors to the Olympics. After all the visitors leave, it remains the province’s job to continually improve the lives of its residents, and not leave them with an Olympic-sized burden.

"I will try to make the economic ripple effect of the Olympic Games lead to the economic growth of Gangwon Province, that is, the real income of the people," Choi said.

Highlighting Inter-Korean Relations

Choi is no stranger to dealing with North Korea, and wants the Olympics to continue that relationship.

In late 2017, Choi met with North Korean sport officials in Kunming, China at a u-15 international football tournament. South Korea was represented by multiple teams from Gangwon province at the event. The "Ari Sports Cup," as it is known, provided an opportunity for the two Koreas to discuss participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

In the weeks after the event North Korea confirmed its participation in the Games during leader Kim Jong Un’s New Year’s speech. Political leaders from North and South Korea quickly worked to agree on a framework for participation, which was eventually confirmed by the IOC.

For Choi, the unified Korean team that marched in the Opening Ceremony and competed in the women’s ice hockey tournament held even more significance because of the historical division of Gangwon province. Historical Gangwon comprises territory in both North and South Korea, and many families in the province were divided by the armistice of the Korean War.

"I hope this experience will become a system and [lead to more] institutionalization in [sports] training that will lead to unification," Choi said.

To get use out of the venues for the 2018 Olympics Choi says Gangwon province will bid for the next Asian Winter Games. The Games are set to be allocated by the Olympic Council of Asia at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Adding a wrinkle of intrigue to the next winter Games, Choi suggested that North Korea could jointly host a few events for the Games. Gangwon province will also bid for the 2025 Winter Military World Games and a future Winter Universiade, Choi said.

"Gangwon province is preparing to be the Special Self-Governing Province of Peace in 2020," Choi said. "The key role of the Special Self-Governing Province of Peace is to expand exchanges in Gangwon Province in North and South, to develop cooperation projects and to play a leading role in peace settlement. Through the opportunity for dialogue to resume, I will faithfully fulfill the role of Gangwon Province to lead inter-Korean exchanges in local governments and the private sectors."

Written by Aaron Bauer

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