Wonju Mayor Gu Jayeol: "Gangwon Must Unify Candidate Sites for International Skating Rink Bid"

Wonju, Chuncheon and Cheorwon seek to host the project

Urge Gangwon Province to lead talks and coordinate a joint bid

Project plan revised for former military base site in Panbu-myeon

Wonju Mayor Gu Ja-yeol of Gangwon Province has urged Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province to consolidate the province’s candidate sites ahead of a new call for proposals for a replacement venue for the Taereung International Skating Rink. If Wonju, Chuncheon and Cheorwon each pursue the project separately, their budgets and administrative resources will be spread thin. He called on the province to review the three cities’ and counties’ sites and preparations and select a single candidate.

Wonju Mayor Gu Ja-yeol urges Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province to develop a unified candidate site and joint bid strategy among Wonju, Chuncheon and Cheorwon ahead of a new call for proposals for a site to host a replacement facility for the Taereung International Ice Rink, during a briefing on pending issues on the 12th. Photo provided by Wonju City.

At a briefing on local issues on November 12, Mayor Gu said, “The province should coordinate the competition among Wonju, Chuncheon and Cheorwon and develop a joint bid strategy.”

According to Wonju City, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee notified local governments that had participated in the call for proposals on November 4 that it would end the existing process and issue a new call. The call, which began in December 2023 and was suspended in August of the following year, will end without a site being selected.

Wonju City called on the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee to explain why it ended the call for proposals and what has changed in the project, and to disclose the evaluation criteria and schedule for the new call.

While taking part in discussions on consolidating the province’s candidate sites, Wonju City plans to continue its own preparations to host the project. The city submitted a bid proposal in February 2024, and in April of the same year formed a citizens’ initiative group involving about 140 civic organizations. The former military base in Seogok-ri, Panbu-myeon, which was proposed as a candidate site at the time, has been cleared through consultations with the Ministry of National Defense. Wonju City said the site is flat, allowing the project to proceed without large-scale civil engineering work.

Wonju City expects the new call for proposals to include additional training facilities and stricter requirements for the security and economic feasibility of land acquisition, and plans to revise its project proposal to meet the new criteria. The city also said it would support the expansion of nearby infrastructure, the creation of a park and the construction of an athletes’ village.

Mayor Gu said, “Our determination to host the project remains unchanged. Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province should lead consultations with Wonju, Chuncheon and Cheorwon and select a single candidate site after objectively reviewing the conditions and preparations in each area.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.