SAFE, SMOOTH
It’s an opportunity for South Korea and Malaysia to upgrade relations
THE 23rd Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will be held in PyeongChang, South Korea in February. It is expected to be the largest Winter Olympics in history, involving approximately 3,000 athletes from all over the world who will be contending for more than 100 gold medals.
As the ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Malaysia, I am delighted as this will be the first time ever in history for Malaysia to participate in the Winter Olympics. Hence, PyeongChang 2018 is all the more meaningful for our two countries.
The South Korean government is putting its utmost effort to ensure the successful staging of the games. A state-of-the-art Olympics will be presented by utilising South Korea’s advanced information and communications technology that includes offering the world’s fastest 5G technology during the games. In addition, for the accessibility of athletes and visitors, a high-speed railway will be launched next month, reducing travel time from Seoul to PyeongChang from three hours to just over an hour, and cutting a 3½ hour trip from Incheon International Airport to 98 minutes.
The 2018 PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Games can be summed up in three keywords. The first keyword is “Dream” — the PyeongChang Olympics is where people’s dreams will be pursued and realised. Winter sports are far more developed in countries with long winter seasons, hence, a small number of countries in the Northern Hemisphere have long been dominating the Winter Games. South Korea began taking part in the Winter Olympic Games for the first time in the 1948 Sankt Moritz Olympics but did not win any medals until the 1988 Calgary Olympics. However, South Korea won four medals, including two golds at the 1992 Albertville Olympics, and at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, South Korea ranked fifth with six gold medals in short track, speed skating and figure skating. This is the result of what Koreans have long dreamt of and yearned for. Against this backdrop, since 2004, the South Korean government has introduced the “Dream Programmme” to provide youths who have limited access to winter weather to experience winter sports. More than 1,900 people from 83 countries have participated in this programme, including 55 young Malaysian athletes.
Having an alpine skier and figure skater representing Malaysia in the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games is almost a miracle in a country with year-round summer weather. I believe this is an accomplishment, and what the athletes and Malaysians have long yearned for, and PyeongChang 2018 will be the stage for them to realise their dreams. In particular, Julian Yee, who made history recently by becoming the first-ever Malaysian figure skater to qualify for the Winter Olympics, was one of the participants in the Dream Programme. Therefore, we will be able to witness the Malaysian athlete who has nurtured his dreams in South Korea realise his dream at PyeongChang 2018.
As Malaysian athletes won gold medals in figure and speed skating at the 29th Sea Games, an Olympic debut for Malaysia at PyeongChang 2018 could be a watershed in Malaysian sports.
PyeongChang 2018 makes South Korea the fifth country to host four major sporting events. The other three are the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics Games, 2002 FIFA World Cup and 2011 Daegu IAFF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World Championships in Athletics within a short period of time. The successful hosting of PyeongChang 2018 will open new horizons for South Korea in various fields, including technology, culture, environment and economy.
Thirty years after the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, which served as an opportunity for South Korea to introduce the “Land of the Morning Calm” to the world, PyeongChang 2018 will provide an opportunity to show the world the achievements South Korea has made in the last three decades. South Korea has become the 11th largest economy in the world and its democracy is blossoming.
PyeongChang 2018 will kick off a series of Olympic games to be held in Asia — the Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020 and the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. We aim to shift the stage of international sporting events to Asia by presenting South Korea and Asia as the hub of winter sports.
Lastly, PyeongChang 2018 will be a “Peace beyond Safety” Olympics. South Korea has accumulated a great deal of experience and possesses the capacity to host international mega events. In the midst of security concerns, including North Korea’s continuous provocation, South Korea has successfully hosted many large-scale events, such as the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics, 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2010 G20 Summit.
President Moon Jae-in has expressed his strong wish to ensure a peaceful Olympics, which will contribute not only to peace on the Korean Peninsula but also the world. As one of the steps forward in uniting the collective will of the international community for the peace Olympics, the United Nations Olympics Truce Resolution will be adopted at the UN General Assembly this month.
The South Korean government is exerting its utmost efforts to make PyeongChang the most perfect Olympics in all areas. We have made thorough preparations to ensure smooth and safe operations of the Olympic Games by completing 25 test events that more than 5,000 athletes from 45 countries will take part in.
I strongly believe that PyeongChang 2018 will serve as an opportunity for both South Korea and Malaysia to upgrade our amiable bilateral relations. I want to assure you that this winter will be the perfect chance for Malaysians to visit South Korea as various events in conjunction with PyeongChang Winter Olympics are in store for visitors and tourists. I sincerely hope that Malaysians will visit the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics to cheer on the Malaysian athletes and experience the friendship of South Korea.