August 2025

The City of PyeongChang will host the General Assembly of the Union, the Olympic Legacy forum conferences and, together with Gangneung, on-site visits. The Union warmly thanks you for welcoming its members. At this stage, what would you like to share with them as a preview of the visit?

We are truly delighted and honored to invite all members of the World Union of Olympic Cities to PyeongChang. As the proud host of the successful Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 and the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024, PyeongChang remains a city where the Olympic spirit is very much alive—thanks to its breathtaking natural environment, legacy Olympic facilities, and passionate local citizens. 
Through the Olympic venue tour and the Legacy Forum in PyeongChang, you will once again witness the city’s ongoing efforts to overcome the challenges of utilizing Winter Olympic legacy facilities, the creativity behind its intangible legacy programs, and the resilience of the people of PyeongChang who have hosted two Olympic events in just seven years. PyeongChang is preparing for this Annual event of the World Union of Olympic Cities with the same spirit and commitment as it did for the 2018 and 2024 Games. We sincerely hope to welcome many member cities and partner organizations to this special gathering. 

PyeongChang has developed a multifaceted sports policy that uses the city’s advantages and natural resources to promote and improve physical activity and sport. Could you share your vision which has led to this approach? 

PyeongChang’s multifaceted sports policy is rooted in its natural environment—cool high-altitude climate at 700 meters above sea level, dense forests, and pristine air. These conditions have not only made it possible to host world-class winter sports events, but have also contributed to the creation of a sports-friendly environment for all generations. PyeongChang’s Olympic sports infrastructure has been expanded to serve schools, local communities, and public health programs. As a result, sports in PyeongChang have evolved beyond elite athletes, enabling all residents to enjoy physical activity as part of daily life. Ultimately, PyeongChang’s sports policy aims to build a resilient community where health, education, and the environment are interconnected through sport. This, we believe, is the true legacy of the Olympic Games.  

PyeongChang hosted the 2018 Winter Olympic Games and the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games, along with Gangneung in 2018 and 2024, and with Jeongseon in 2018. The Olympic legacy is lively in the county, and venues are currently in use. How does the region build on these successes and continue to activate its heritage? Youth Olympic Games can be a laboratory for testing new concepts and experimenting with new tools that may be replicated on a larger scale at other editions of the Games. What key innovative ideas from Gangwon 2024 would you like to share?  

PyeongChang’s Olympic legacy is not a relic of the past, but a living, dynamic force that continues to shape the future. Since hosting the Olympic Winter Games in 2018, PyeongChang’s Olympic facilities have been actively utilized for international conferences, corporate events, and youth sports experience programs. One of the most notable legacy initiatives is the Soohorang & Bandabi Youth Camp. Held annually since 2018, this camp has provided young people with opportunities to experience the Olympic spirit through a strong network of schools across the country. Building on these partnerships, approximately 50,000 students—about 10% of all spectators—attended the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games. We consider this a key achievement of the long-term legacy of the PyeongChang Games. PyeongChang has also expanded its legacy programs to promote greater global inclusion. Through the Winter Sports Development Program for Countries Without Snow, Thai athlete Agnes Campeol won a silver medal in women’s bobsleigh at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games. Likewise, Tunisian athlete Jonathan Lourimi, supported by the Athlete Development Program for Developing Countries, also captured silver in men’s bobsleigh. 
These achievements reflect PyeongChang’s ongoing commitment to international inclusion and cooperation since 2018.  

Organising the World Union of Olympic Cities’ annual event week of events requires a great deal of collaboration among various Korean Olympic legacy stakeholders. Who have you worked with, and which legacy entities have you collaborated with at national and county levels to prepare an exciting programme for the Union’s members? 

In preparing for this event, we have been collaborating with a wide range of partners. These include national-level institutions such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, and Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, as well as key local stakeholders such as the PyeongChang 2018 Memorial Foundation, the PyeongChang Legacy Foundation, various sports organizations, and local community groups. 
The following Olympic venues and sites will be visited: PyeongChang jumping hill and Olympic museum; and Gangneung Ice Arena and Olympic Museum.
One particularly meaningful collaboration we would like to highlight is our joint program with Woljeongsa Temple, a major site of Korean Buddhism located on Mount Odaesan. Together with Woljeongsa, we are preparing a traditional Korean cultural experience for participants, featuring Tapdori (a traditional ritual of walking around a pagoda) and Seungmu (Buddhist dance) performances—offering our international guests a unique and memorable cultural encounter. We are also preparing a series of local initiatives that participants will be delighted to discover on site!
Through these efforts, PyeongChang is striving to realize a legacy that lives not only in Olympic venues, but also in the everyday lives of its citizens. 

In terms of both memories and inspiration, what would you like the Union’s Members to return home with after their visit to PyeongChang?  

For the people of PyeongChang, the Olympic Games were more than just a sports event. Bringing the Winter Olympics to this small mountain town in Gangwon State was the result of a decade-long journey, driven by the united passion and hope of its residents. That journey was nothing short of a miracle, and the memory of it still lives on in the hearts of the people of PyeongChang. The official slogan of the PyeongChang 2018 was “ Passion. Connected”. Today, we wish to extend that message to Passion Connected; Forever—so that PyeongChang will be remembered as a city of Olympic Legacy. 
The 2025 annual gathering of the World Union of Olympic Cities is more than an international event; it is a precious opportunity to revive the inspiration and pride of PyeongChang 2018. We sincerely hope that this gathering will once again connect Olympic cities around the world with the passion of PyeongChang—through the united efforts of our citizens, the PyeongChang 2018 Heritage Foundation, and the PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation.