The president of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics Organizing Committee resigned abruptly Monday, calling for new leadership.
Kim Jin-sun said after announcing his resignation,” it has been three years since PyeongChang was chosen as the host city and we have only three years left before the Olympics. I think it’s time for the committee to consolidate its leadership to carry out the remaining tasks, and make the Winter Games a success”.
Kim has actively worked for PyeongChang’s bid for the past 15 years since Gangwon Province first announced in 1999 it wanted to host the Games. He was governor at the time. PyeongChang lost its bid for the 2010 Games and the 2014 Games.
Then, as a special ambassador, he worked to convince voters at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) meeting in 2011 to elect PyeongChang as host of the 2018 Games.
He was named president of the organizing committee in October 2011 and re-elected last year for a second term that would have ended in 2015.
Kim gave no reason for his decision to quit.
On Thursday Kim failed to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for new venues for ice sports in Gangneung, a city near PyeongChang.
