19 September 2024 – As Mayor of PyeongChang from 2014 to 2018, and again from 2022, Shim Jae-guk had a key role in both the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 and the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Gangwon 2024, with a unique vantage point to observe and promote the benefits for the county and wider region. In this interview with Olympics.com, he reflects on the positive sporting, cultural and economic impacts for local communities and sends a message to the mayors of other cities and regions that are exploring opportunities to host the Youth Olympic Games.
Since 2018, PyeongChang, which has a population of 40,000, has become a major tourist attraction, with over 10 million visitors annually. In 2023, approximately 17 million tourists visited PyeongChang, positively impacting the local economy. The Mayor’s Office plans to use the county’s increased profile to make PyeongChang a year-round destination for tourists, with winter sports and wellness-themed mountain attractions, a PyeongChang Olympic theme park, cultural attractions and a 5km PyeongChang-Gangneung cable car currently in its plans. PyeongChang also continues to host introductory youth sports camps for children from the Republic of Korea and from non-traditional winter sports countries, while welcoming elite athletes for international competitions and training camps.
What were your reasons for bidding to host the Winter Youth Olympic Games 2024?
PyeongChang County had significantly raised the national prestige of the Republic of Korea by successfully hosting the Olympic Winter Games in 2018. Since then, there has been development in many aspects, including PyeongChang citizens’ cultural awareness and PyeongChang’s culture, tourism and environment. Therefore, Gangwon 2024, leveraging the legacy of the successful hosting in 2018, aimed to showcase PyeongChang again to the world.
We aspire to make PyeongChang County the fastest-growing place in South Korea, and that’s the reason we decided to bid for the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games.
Shim Jae-guk, Mayor of PyeongChang County during PyeongChang 2018 and Gangwon 2024
What benefits do citizens receive from hosting events like the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 and now the Winter YOG Gangwon 2024?
PyeongChang citizens took great pride in hosting an Olympic event once again. They feel honoured and believe that the world will visit PyeongChang, allowing PyeongChang to develop further. The fact that the Youth Olympics were co-hosted in PyeongChang showcased our culture, tourism and the natural environment, which are amazing assets and the pride of the county. The citizens of PyeongChang truly find great meaning in promoting PyeongChang to the world and hold goodwill towards the Youth Olympic Games.
How does hosting the Olympic Winter Games and Winter YOG align with PyeongChang’s long-term socio-economic strategy and plans?
PyeongChang County is large in area, receives a lot of snow in winter, and is a highland area. Because it’s cool in summer, we plan to develop it into a year-round tourist and resort destination, enhancing the brand value of our products and goods. This leads to the revitalisation of the local economy and the income of the local residents, so everyone in the region welcomes it. With the Winter YOG 2024, we all took pride in successfully hosting the event and promoting PyeongChang to the world.
What changes do you think have occurred in PyeongChang County and among its citizens after hosting two Olympic events?
PyeongChang County is a very rural area. It’s a countryside village, and previously not many people across the Republic of Korea were aware of PyeongChang. But after it successfully hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics, the brand value of PyeongChang increased, making it known worldwide. This led to an increase in tourists visiting our area and our tourist sites, boosting the tourism industry. Of course, this was linked to the income of our local residents, but it also raised the level of cultural awareness among the residents. Their etiquette improved significantly, making PyeongChang envied by people from Seoul, Busan, Daegu and elsewhere. I believe this is the effect of hosting the Olympics in our region.
Having been involved in the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, how will you remember the Winter YOG Gangwon 2024?
As the Mayor of the host city for the successful 2018 Winter Olympics, and now the Winter YOG Gangwon 2024, I feel great pride and honour. I hope to further enhance the brand value of our sports venues, so that they not only host winter events and World Cups but also attract more summer sports, in order to develop PyeongChang further and elevate the national prestige and development of the Republic of Korea. I truly think of it as an honour.
What message would you like to give to the mayors and citizens of other cities considering hosting the Winter and Summer Youth Olympic Games?
We are seeing that in spring, summer, autumn and winter, athletes from various sports disciplines are coming to PyeongChang for their training camps. We receive so many visitors that, no matter how much we build our sports infrastructure, it never seems enough. Athletes in track and field, wrestling, judo, table tennis and many other sports come to PyeongChang for their training camps. This greatly helps in revitalising our local economy, so I would encourage other regions to engage with the Youth Olympic Games.
