The Korea Tourism Organization said on Tuesday that it will hold "various events" in N.Y. this week to promote the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, according to YONHAP. The KTO and the South Korea Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism "will hold the Korea, PyeongChang Festival" in N.Y. from Thursday-Saturday. The events to be held include "introducing Korean cuisine to the media, opening a promotion booth at Times Square in New York City and holding a discussion session with industry officials to attract more American visitors to the Olympics," which will kick off in South Korea on Feb. 8 (YONHAP, 6/20).
MINISTER VISIT: YONHAP also reported newly-appointed South Korea Minister of Culture, Sports & Tourism Do Jong-hwan traveled to PyeongChang on Tuesday "to check on preparations for the country's first Winter Olympics." Do visited the HQ of the 2018 Winter Olympics organizing committee in PyeongChang, some 180km east of Seoul, in Gangwon Province. After getting briefed on the preparations, Do "stressed the importance of the Olympics as the first major sporting event in the new administration" (YONHAP, 6/20).
HIGH HOPES: In Seoul, Baek Byung-yeul reported with less than eight months to go before the 2018 Games, "more Koreans believe the country's first-ever Winter Games will be successful," a survey showed. The Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism "conducted a survey of 1,000 people for two days on May 26 and 27" and 62.9% "answered the PyeongChang Olympics would succeed." This is a 7.8% increase from the first survey conducted in April. While 14.2% said that "they were pessimistic about the PyeongChang Olympics" in the first survey, "only" 7.2 % said so this time (KOREA TIMES, 6/20).
