Pyeongchang Residents Upset With 2018 Olympics Committee

Residents in Pyeongchang, South Korea, host for the 2018 Winter Olympics, are "up in arms" over organizing committee POCOG for "ignoring them in some key decisions," according to Jung Min-ho of the KOREA TIMES. These "controversial moves included switching the opening and closing ceremonies from the originally planned sites, as well as changing where events will be held." A resident of Daegwallyeong, located in the same province as the host city, Hong Young-ki said, "The most frustrating problem is that POCOG has been failing to communicate with us." Hong added, "The decision to change the venue of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games should have been discussed with the local people in advance." Another "major bone of contention" is that POCOG has plans to build an ice hockey stadium for the men’s competition at the Gangneung Athletic Complex. The decision comes despite the "strong request" of Wonju, a city in the same province as Pyeongchang, to build it near the city to seek balanced regional development (KOREA TIMES, 7/18).