[COVER STORY] North Jeolla Province's 2036 Olympic bid falters as it seeks to co-host with Seoul

North Jeolla Province has asked Seoul to join its 2036 Summer Olympics bid as a co-host, amid doubts over the province’s ability to host Jeonju’s solo bid. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has suspended its feasibility review while the joint-bid talks continue. Provincial officials say the co-hosting push is meant to improve competitiveness, but the province will keep its independent plan if talks fail.

North Jeolla Province was selected by the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee in February 2025 as Korea’s candidate for the 2036 Summer Olympics.

The provincial government says it must restart the selection process from scratch if it decides to co-host with Seoul.

The sports ministry had planned to complete its feasibility review by Oct. 4, but suspended the process after the joint-bid proposal emerged.

The final bid plan must be submitted to the IOC by March next year.

A ministry spokesperson said IOC guidelines include requirements such as an international airport within a 60-minute radius, a designated number of five-star hotels, and specific press center and athletes’ village standards.

Published Sep 23, 2026 9:53 am KST

Lack of infrastructure pushes provincial government to seek help from capital city

Officials of North Jeolla Province and sports communities hold up torches to express support for Jeonju's bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics during the opening ceremony for the Jeonbuk Sports Festival at Jinan Public Stadium in Jinan County, North Jeolla Province, Sept. 4. Courtesy of North Jeolla provincial government

North Jeolla Province has approached Seoul about joining its bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics as a co-host, fueling speculation that the province's bid for the provincial city, Jeonju, to host the games is losing momentum amid concerns about a lack of necessary infrastructure.

Although the provincial government says it is not giving up its bid to host the Games on its own but is adopting a strategy to increase its chances of being selected, the co-hosting offer shows it is facing a growing burden over its lack of necessary facilities. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has since postponed its review of the province's plan for the event hosting.

Provincial government officials said North Jeolla Gov. Lee Won-taeg recently met with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to discuss co-hosting the upcoming Olympics.

“The governor met with Seoul officials to discuss the broader framework for a joint bid, and we are currently awaiting Seoul’s official response. At the working level, we have formally requested that they submit their proposal on the co-hosting arrangement, and working-level officials are continuing discussions,” Seo Bae-won, a director with the provincial government, told The Korea Times on Monday.

“The reason we are pushing for a co-hosting arrangement is that rather than North Jeolla pursuing the bid independently, as many suggested, partnering with Seoul will significantly boost our competitiveness during both the selection process and final host evaluations,” Seo said.

“If the talks with Seoul fall through, North Jeolla will still present its pre-established solo bid for ministry evaluation.”

Lee also said Monday that he expects the Seoul Metropolitan Government to announce its official stance on the joint bid after the Chuseok holiday.

The joint bid offer came amid growing skepticism over whether the provincial government can host the international sporting event on its own.

Although the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) selected Jeonju as Korea's candidate in February 2025 as part of efforts to promote regional development, the province has faced mounting questions from insiders and observers about its feasibility, given its lack of essential facilities and infrastructure required for a massive international event — from a local airport to suitable stadiums and hotel accommodations.

"If Seoul rejects the proposal, it is doubtful whether North Jeolla could realistically host the event on its own ... Proposing a joint bid proves that it cannot do so," a government official who is familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.

Rep. Jung Yeon-wook of the main opposition People Power Party expressed doubts about the provincial government's readiness for hosting the event, as it could not meet the International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines on infrastructure, criticizing the “anticipated failure” of the solo bid.

"North Jeolla already failed in hosting the 2023 World Scout Jamboree due to poor management," Jung said. "The provincial government also insisted at that time that ‘we were well prepared,' and now they are repeating the same pattern."

Accoding to relevant procedures, if the province decides to co-host the event with Seoul, it must restart the selection process from scratch. Even if the plan passes the sports ministry's review, it still requires approval from the Ministry of Planning and Budget and the National Assembly to secure state funding. The final bid plan must be submitted to the IOC by March next year.

Banners reading "Wishing for North Jeolla Province to host the 2036 Summer Olympics" hang along the road near Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Feb. 3, 2025. Korea Times file

The KSOC, the governing body in charge of the domestic selection process, was not immediately available for comment.

The sports ministry was scheduled to complete its feasibility evaluation by Oct. 4, but suspended the process after North Jeolla Province announced it was pursuing a joint bid with Seoul.

“The review was originally scheduled for completion by Oct. 4 after an extension was granted for revisions. However, the culture ministry suspended the process due to the changing co-hosting situation, holding off on its evaluation until the joint bid is settled,” ministry spokesperson Im Young-a told The Korea Times.

“As the governing body, the ministry must ensure the proposal presents a realistic plan. There are strict guidelines set by the IOC, which require specific standards — such as having an international airport within a 60-minute radius, a designated number of five-star hotels, as well as specific requirements for the press center and athletes' village. The review focuses on whether the plan properly reflects these criteria.”

由于外界对全罗北道能否独立申办全州2036年夏季奥运会存在疑虑，该道已请求首尔加入其申办计划，共同主办。文化体育观光部已暂停可行性审查，目前双方仍在就联合申办事宜进行磋商。全罗北道官员表示，此举旨在提升申办竞争力，但如果磋商失败，该道仍将坚持独立申办。

2025年2月，韩国体育和奥林匹克委员会选定全罗北道作为韩国申办2036年夏季奥运会的候选城市。

省政府表示，如果决定与首尔共同主办，则必须从头开始重新进行遴选程序。

体育部原计划在10月4日前完成可行性审查，但在联合投标方案出现后暂停了该程序。

最终申办方案必须在明年3月之前提交给国际奥委会。

一位体育部发言人表示，国际奥委会的指导方针包括一些要求，例如在 60 分钟车程范围内设有国际机场、指定数量的五星级酒店，以及特定的新闻中心和运动员村标准。

发布于2026年9月23日上午9:53（韩国标准时间）

基础设施匮乏迫使省政府向省会城市寻求帮助

9月4日，在全罗北道济南郡济南公立体育场举行的全北运动会开幕式上，全罗北道官员和体育界人士举起火炬，表达对全州申办2036年夏季奥运会的支持。（图片由全罗北道政府提供）

全罗北道已与首尔接洽，希望共同申办 2036 年夏季奥运会，这引发了人们的猜测：由于担心基础设施不足，全罗北道申办全州奥运会的努力正在失去动力。

尽管省政府表示并未放弃单独申办奥运会，而是正在采取策略提高中标几率，但联合举办的提议表明，该省正面临着因缺乏必要设施而日益沉重的负担。文化、体育和旅游部已推迟对该省申办方案的审查。

省政府官员表示，全罗北道知事李元泰最近与首尔市长吴世勋会面，讨论共同举办即将到来的奥运会的事宜。

“知事与首尔官员会面，讨论了联合申办的总体框架，我们目前正在等待首尔方面的正式回复。在工作层面，我们已正式要求他们提交联合主办安排的方案，工作层面的官员正在继续讨论，”省政府一位主任徐培元（音译）周一告诉《韩国时报》。

徐先生表示：“我们之所以力推联合主办安排，是因为与首尔合作，而不是像许多人建议的那样由全罗北道独立申办，这将大大提高我们在遴选过程和最终主办城市评估中的竞争力。”

“如果与首尔的谈判破裂，全罗北道仍将提交其预先制定的单独方案，供相关部门评估。”

李在周一还表示，他预计首尔市政府将在中秋节假期后宣布其对联合竞标的正式立场。

在人们越来越怀疑省政府是否有能力独立举办这项国际体育赛事之际，联合申办方案应运而生。

尽管韩国体育奥林匹克委员会 (KSOC) 在 2025 年 2 月选择全州作为韩国的候选城市，以促进区域发展，但鉴于全州缺乏举办大型国际赛事所需的必要设施和基础设施（从当地机场到合适的体育场和酒店住宿），业内人士和观察人士对其可行性提出了越来越多的质疑。

一位熟悉此事的政府官员匿名表示：“如果首尔拒绝这一提议，那么全罗北道能否真正独立举办这项赛事就令人怀疑……提出联合申办恰恰证明了它无法做到这一点。”

主要反对党国民力量党议员郑延旭对省政府举办该赛事的准备情况表示怀疑，因为省政府无法满足国际奥委会（IOC）关于基础设施的指导方针，并批评了单独申办的“预期失败”。

郑先生表示：“全罗北道由于管理不善，已经导致2023年世界童军大露营举办失败。当时道政府还坚称‘我们准备充分’，现在他们又在重蹈覆辙。”

根据相关程序，如果该省决定与首尔联合举办奥运会，则必须从头开始重新进行申办程序。即使申办方案通过了体育部的审核，仍需获得计划预算部和国会的批准才能获得国家拨款。最终的申办方案必须在明年3月前提交给国际奥委会。

2025年2月3日，在全罗北道全州市全州世界杯体育场附近的道路两旁，悬挂着写有“希望全罗北道举办2036年夏季奥运会”的横幅。（韩国时报档案照片）

负责国内选拔工作的韩国奥委会暂未对此发表评论。

体育部原计划于10月4日完成可行性评估，但在全罗北道宣布将与首尔联合申办后，暂停了该程序。

“由于延期修改，审查工作原定于10月4日完成。然而，由于联合主办情况发生变化，文化部暂停了审查程序，推迟评估，直到联合申办方案确定为止。”文化部发言人林英娥告诉《韩国时报》。

作为管理机构，体育部必须确保该提案提出切实可行的计划。国际奥委会制定了严格的指导方针，要求达到特定标准，例如在60分钟车程范围内拥有国际机场、指定数量的五星级酒店，以及对新闻中心和运动员村的具体要求。此次审查的重点在于该计划是否恰当地体现了这些标准。