TWO KOREAS UNLIKELY TO HOST 2032 OLYMPICS

[Anchor Lead]

South and North Korea’s bid to jointly host the 2032 Summer Olympics, a project pushed by the Moon Jae-in administration, has become very unlikely. The International Olympic Committee(IOC) has selected Australia's Brisbane as its preferred candidate to host the 2032 Summer Games. Now South Korea’s government and its Sport & Olympic Committee had absolutely no idea this was coming, and may well come under criticism for a diplomatic disaster.

[Pkg]

The International Olympic Committee held an executive board meeting and chose Australia's Brisbane as a preferred candidate to host the 2032 Summer Games.

[Soundbite] Thomas Bach(IOC President)

The South Korean government had little idea of the latest development. Seoul’s Sports Ministry had even announced in its plan for 2021 measures to raise the country’s profile in global sports including securing support for the two Koreas’ bid to host the 2032 games. In November last year, President Moon Jae-in appointed former vice sports minister Roh Tae-gang as ambassador to Switzerland where the IOC is headquartered, and asked for his efforts on the Olympic bid. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee was no better. It had nearly no knowledge on the developments and has been complacent in its response. Last month, the committee published a research paper concerning the Olympic bid and suggested that efforts to solicit global support be exerted during international sports events scheduled in Korea. KSOC president Lee Kee-Heung, who has been re-elected to the post had also, while campaigning, emphasized his status as a Korean IOC member and a successful 2032 Olympic bid.

[Soundbite] Lee Kee-heung(President, Korean Sport & Olympic Committee(Jan. 9)) : "As an IOC member, I pledge to succeed in winning the joint bid to host the 2032 Summer Games."

The government says it will continue consultations as a decision on the host city is not yet finalized but sports authorities are coming under fire for what some say is nothing short of a diplomatic catastrophe.