D-1 to 2036 Olympic Candidate City Selection, Mayor Oh Se-hoon Also Goes All Out

Final Selection at KSOC General Assembly on the Afternoon of the 28th
Mayor Oh Prepares Presentation and Calls Delegates Directly
Seoul Secures Economic Feasibility... Reinventing Infrastructure

Seoul is putting all its efforts into the bid to be selected as the host city for the 2036 Summer Olympics, just one day before the final decision. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has also personally called members of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) to seek their support until the last moment.

According to Seoul City on the 27th, Mayor Oh is preparing a presentation (PT) ahead of the KSOC regular general assembly scheduled for the afternoon of the 28th at the Olympic Parktel in Songpa-gu, Seoul. This meeting will decide the domestic candidate city for the 2036 Summer Olympics, where delegates representing 31 summer sports and 7 winter sports will vote between Seoul Special City and Jeollabuk-do Special Self-Governing Province.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is entering the briefing room at Seoul City Hall on the 24th to announce the integrated Seoul transportation system brand 'GO SEOUL'. 2025.02.24 Photo by Yoon Dong-joo

Mayor Oh plans to appeal for support from the delegates through his presentation just before the vote. The PT will include detailed information on the essential elements of the '2036 Seoul Olympics' bid, such as economic feasibility and public opinion results favoring re-hosting. Mayor Oh is personally overseeing the related messages. Over the past weekend, he directly called delegates with voting rights to solicit their support. It is reported that he mentioned Seoul’s investment plans, including the expansion and renovation of sports infrastructure.

Seoul City notes that since the first Athens Olympics in 1896, only six countries have hosted the Olympics more than once. Considering that the average interval between hosting the games twice is 50 years, the year 2036, which is 48 years after 1988, is seen as an appropriate time to host the Olympics again.

Above all, great significance is placed on securing economic viability. According to a preliminary feasibility study conducted last year by the Korea Institute of Sport Science, the total cost of hosting the '2036 Seoul Olympics' is estimated at 5.0833 trillion KRW, with total benefits at 4.4707 trillion KRW. When converted to present value, the costs and benefits are 3.0358 trillion KRW and 3.1284 trillion KRW respectively, resulting in a benefit/cost ratio (B/C) of 1.03.

The total cost of 5.0833 trillion KRW is the lowest among Olympics held since 2000. Seoul plans to maximize the use of existing venues without new construction based on the experience and legacy of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and to utilize venues in other cities and provinces for some insufficient facilities. Notably, Seoul has completed agreements with Gyeonggi Province, Incheon City, Busan City, and Gangwon Province to jointly use major facilities and venues for marine sports that Seoul lacks.

Seoul has drawn a line against co-hosting with Jeollabuk-do. On the 19th, Mayor Oh stated in the city council in response to related questions, "If we want to maximize cost-effectiveness, save as much as possible, generate a surplus, and have a high portion of that profit returned to athletes, and if we want to be selected as the host city with a high score, co-hosting with Jeollabuk-do could actually be a factor that lowers our score." Internally, this reflects variables such as not only a lower score but also an extended preparation period and the need to be evaluated from the beginning again. However, the mayor holds a positive stance on decentralized hosting. He said, "If we win the hosting rights, we have already conveyed our intention to allow Jeollabuk-do to co-host as much as possible within the limits of the facilities, and this has also been communicated to our Olympic Committee."

Seoul plans to continue requesting support and cooperation from the delegates during the remaining day. Previously, Kim Tae-gyun, Seoul’s First Deputy Mayor for Administration, and Kang Tae-seon, President of the Seoul Sports Council, visited central sports federations by discipline to express their commitment to the Olympic bid.