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North Korea set to join South Korea in bid for 2032 Olympics

The May Day stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea (Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images)
Expert
19th September, 2018
0

Yes, you read that headline correctly. No, it’s not a typo or a satirical take on the state of the Olympics.

On the back of diplomatic meetings between the two Korean nations, a potential bid to host the 2032 Summer Olympics has risen, with the Southern country on the Korean peninsula driving the bid.

A statement was released by authorities in Seoul on Wednesday saying the two nations would seek a bid, as well as joining forces at the 2020 Olympics.

While South and North Korea have been on waring paths for decades, the bid may join a crowded pool of entrants for the 2032 Games.

With the next three Olympic Games locked in for Tokyo, Paris and Los Angeles respectively, the 2032 Games are the first without a host, and South Korean officials believe it could be another step on the road to reconciliation between the two nations.

They have already taken giant leaps this year, with the two countries marching at the opening ceremony under a unified Korean banner at the recent Winter Olympics in South Korea.

While bids don’t need to be confirmed for some years, the 2032 Games already have plenty of interested parties, with Germany, India, Australia, Hungary, Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, Egypt, China and Argentina all declaring interest at one point or another.

The Australian bid would likely to be through Brisbane, with AOC president John Coates throwing his support behind the bid.

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South Korea last hosted a major global sporting event in 2002 when they co-hosted the FIFA World Cup alongside Japan, while their northern neighbours have never hosted an event of this magnitude.

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