SEOUL, March 31- South Korea should host the 2014 Winter Games as it would
provide a big push for winter sports in Asia, the chairman of Pyeongchang's bid
committee said on Friday.
Han Seung-soo, a former South Korean foreign minister, also said in an
interview with Reuters that bagging the games could help promote peace on the
Korean peninsula.
Pyeongchang, a rustic town in mountainous Kangwon Province on the east of the
peninsula, is bidding again after narrowly losing out to Vancouver, Canada, in
the race to hold the 2010 Games.
"I think it's about time East Asia or Asia takes a more active part in
promoting winter sports by having the Olympic Games held in our part of the
world", the Kangwon-born Han said.
Asia has hosted only two Winter Games, both in Japan -- Sapporo hosted the
1972 Games and Nagano the 1998 event.
The economic potential of winter sports in Asia is not lost on many sports
equipment manufacturers, with skiing just beginning to tak off in the
potentially huge Chinese market.
South Korea's 2014 push could also be helped by its record haul of medals in
Turin, mostly in short-track skating. It ended a creditable seventh in the
medals table, the top Asian country, and above some noted winter sports nations
such as Switzerland.
But Pyeongchang's chances may have suffered a blow from scandals embroiling
South Korean members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC will
pick the final candidates for 2014 this June and the bid winners in July, 2007.
"I'm very sorry that out of our three IOC members, we have now one member,"
said Han. "Paradoxically speaking, I think it shows Korean society is becoming
very transparent."
IOC member Park Yong-sung was provisionally suspended last month for an
investigation by the Ethics Commission following his conviction for embezzlement
in Seoul.
Last May, IOC Vice-President Kim Un-yong resigned from the organisation. He
had been facing expulsion after being found guilty on corruption charges in his
homeland.