Korean Job Discussion Forums

[earthbound14]

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/11/30/200911300048.asp

[mayorgc]

I hate it when Koreans who speak good English try to speak/write in great English.

The person writing that obviously has a good grasp of English. It's just too bad his level just isn't there yet; close, but no cigar.

Anyways, sounds like 3rd time's the charm. I heard there's only 1 other serious contender as of right now.

Maybe Richard Park and Jimmy Paek will come out of their retirements to represent the S.K hockey team.

[mayorgc]

Actually, I just checked and there's 3 bids. France, Germany and Korea. Asia hasn't hosted the winter olympics since Nagano in 98, so I guess Asia is due.

If they somehow end up losing this 3rd bid, they might as well pack it in. Or they can try for a fourth time.

[jvalmer]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_bids#All-time_bids_.28summer.29

Nothing wrong with bidding a few times. Some cities bid a few times before they actually get an Olympics. The record goes to Detroit (based on the summer games bids) and they've never won.

Despite of all the criticisms of how Koreans can't organize, they do well running international events, 1988 Olympics, 2002 World Cup, 2007 U-17 World Cup, and that internet computer science conference they had last month.

I for one hope they win this time. Would be nice to read all the posters here saying that it will be a organizing disaster and as usual, nothing bad will happen.

[guava]

[Xuanzang]

They would need way better transportation infrastructure for Gangwon-do. A KTX line joining up the region would be a good start.

[jvalmer]

[Smee]

One of Korea's "ghost airports" is at Yangyang, supposedly built with the hopes of attracting tourists to one of the local mountains---is too far away to be useful, though---and in case they ever get the Olympics. Perhaps that'd reopen.

I'm sure if Pyeongchang wins they'll build some kind of high-speed KTX shuttle between Seoul and Gangwon.

[lookingforworkinasia]

Plus, there doesn't seem to really be much of a winter sports culture. I remember I went to Pyeongchang when I first arrived because I heard it almost beat out Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. Man, was I in for shock. The facilities are adequate to support regional interest, but hardly world class.

I've been skiing a bunch of times there, but the slopes don't hold much interest for anyone at my level (and I'm not a champ or anything). Yeongpyong and Phoenix Park both seem developed to attract large numbers of beginners rather than advanced athletes. Very little diversity in the type of courses available. In fact, the only thing that made any of the runs challenging were the large number of people and the lack of snow.

I tried to find information about other winter activities in the area, but didn't find much. Some people said there was competitive skating, but the rinks I found were only open for training purposes. No ice hockey games, curling, or open skates. Maybe I just couldn't find information, but I went away with the impression people just weren't interested in doing these activities here.

In terms of people, everyone I talked to were all out of towners visiting from Seoul. The expats and Koreans (from Seoul) I talked to said there's really no reason to go besides skiing or boarding. No noteworthy society or alternatives to those activities. Plus, the tiny towns in the area all have the gawk and stare at the foreigner reaction, which doesn't speak volumes about the international outlook of the locals.

I think this makes it sound worse than it actually it is. However, I was left with the impression that they want the Olympics strictly for the prestige, and don't really have much of an interest or appreciation of winter sports.

[VanIslander]

1) Korean stick-to-it-ness: keep bidding until they get it.

2) They lost to Vancouver by, what, a single vote?

3) Skiing is a huge growth industry among the millions of well-to-do Chinese with hills opening up across that country; Korea is assured to have no national whinefest over budgets (unlike Canada) and no problem funding the event nor hosting it given Korea's good track record of putting on international events.

So,...

My money is on Korea getting the Winter Olympics - in our lifetime.

[UknowsI]

The embarrassing snow quality at last years world championship in biathlon (cross country skiing and rifle shooing) in Pyeongchang didn't exactly strengthen their case. Pretty much all the snow was artificially made and it was so little of it every athlete was complaining. Also they didn't mark the track properly so the 5 first athletes ended up skiing over a bridge while they were supposed to ski around.

[earthbound14]

I've got no problem with Korea having the Winter Olympics and from a personal stand point I would love to see it here. I think the Koreans would do a great job of it.

This is not the issue for me.

I think they should have never been so close to beating Vancouver in the first place. What ridiculous universe would see such a thing?

Honestly, while Koreans have improved in winter sports at a remarkable rate, while resorts and facilities have improved beyond my expectations, Korea still lacks one thing...snow. Skiing in Korea is really strange, you spend the whole day skiing on fake snow looking at snowless mountains. What are they going to do, ship in real snow from Japan?

I know someone posted a great link that suggested they do indeed get some snow, but one day of snow does not make the Olympics...it doesn't even make for good skiing.

As a skier I can honestly say holding the Olympics in Korea would be a dud. You might as well hold the Olympics indoors in Dubai...OK, not that bad, but near enough.

For the sake of the games (not Korea...cause I'd love to see Korea get it) I think the Olympics should stay clear of Korea...unless of course they are willing to hold events in NK on Beakdu. Perhaps they could market it as the Unification Games...I'd be sold on that.

France...now there is a place for the games. But of course if the games do come here...I'll be a happy camper, it would really spruce up the joint and make my days skiing on fake snow just a little bit better...hell, maybe they might even figure out a way to make fake snow that acts just like the real thing....3 feet of sweet fluffy fake powder, that would be cool.

[Xuanzang]

Maybe they can borrow China's snow/precipitation inducing cannons or techniques. Better yet, wait for Lil Kimmie's regime to fall and then have a Winter games that would promote reunification and build infrastructure for the North. Kill two birds with one stone.

[BoholDiver]

Korea nearly got the 2010 Olympics by playing the pity vote. 'Oh boo hoo, we're a divided country'. Anyways, they can have them for all I care. They've been an economic disaster for Vancouver.

I think they'll win in this bid or next if they keep trying. Definitely the biggest weakness for that area is the lack of transportation and hotels/residences. There are just about enough to support the Korean crowd that will no doubt go there and partake. How about the international travelers?

[davai!]