Korea has been posting excellent results in international winter sports competition with figure skating queen Kim Yu-na and an unbeatable short-track speed skating team.
And to mark itself as a hub for winter games Pyeongchang bid in 2000 to host the Olympic Winter Games a dream that is very much still alive today.
Pyeongchang was nominated as an official candidate city for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in 2002 and the city became a favorite of many after receiving high scores from the IOC inspection team.
[Interview : Gerhard Heiberg
International Olympic Committee] "Pyeongchang could organize very, very good games in 2010. We all agreed on that, there is no doubt."
Pyeongchang then survived eliminations to place on the final list along with two other cities Vancouver and Salzburg to host the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Then the final result was announced.
[Interview : Jacques Rogge, IOC President
Prague, Czech Republic, July 2nd, 2003] "The 21st Winter Olympic Games in 2010 are awarded to the city of Vancouver."
[Interview : Guatemala City, Guatemala
July 4th, 2007] "Sochi."
Despite Pyeongchang's aspirations the city lost the bid to Vancouver in 2003 and again to Sochi in 2007 following a second attempt to bid for the 2014 games.
[Reporter : Reporter: Kim Nari
narikim@arirang.co.kr] "After two unsuccessful bid to host the Winter Olympics, Pyeongchang never gave up. The city is making its third run at playing host to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, with advanced and expanded sports facilities and improved infrastructure."
Pyeongchang boasts the an ideal environment for winter sports which prevents the city from giving up on hosting the Winter Games.
In light of past failures Pyeongchang never stopped creating better sports facilities and finding ways to get the very best quality of snow.
[Interview : Lee Sae-young, Facility manager
2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee] "To prepare for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games, we have built facilities for snow sports in Pyeongchang, and for ice sports in Gangneung.
We are preparing these facilities to create a perfect venue for the athletes."
Adding to that the stadiums are built within ten minutes of the main roads and the railway for easy access.
The other improvements the city has made have all been meant to contribute to creating a full sports event experience.
The IOC's evaluation Commission Report in 2007 for Pyeongchang said that the city lacks experience in hosting international winter sports events.
But that is not a problem anymore as the city has hosted several such sports events since then.
The iconic structure in Pyeongchang is the ski jump tower, that has been raised to its full height.
If the city is selected to host the 2018 Winter Games this will be the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies.
[Interview : Lee Sae-young, Facility manager
2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee] "This ski jump arena can hold an audience of up to 11-thousand.
On the right hand side is the K25, and on the left is the K95.
For the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games, we will build additional seats to hold an audience of up to 60-thousand."
To fully prepare the best stadiums for athletes Pyeongchang has built tracks for cross-country skiing biathlon facilities short track speed skating rinks and curling venues which have all hosted international comeptitions.
And to accommodate athletes and visitors from around the world Pyeongchang has almost 100-thousand rooms of different sizes and prices.
According to the International Olympic Committee, the city should have 950 rooms of four- to five-star quality within 50 kilometers of the main arena.
The city now has over 45-thousand.
[Interview : Cha Sang-gu, President
Alpensia Resort] "This is the best area for the Winter Olympic Games, even though we open we can have Olympics 2010 or 11, we are ready. I am very confident that we can beat Germany and France in 2011, so it will be the center of the Winter Olympic Games city."
Pyeongchang also boasts to be the best location in Korea in terms of the amount of snow and the ideal temperatures necessary for winter sports.
It is the place where the first snowfalls can be seen with almost three meters of snow covering the surrounding mountains from November to March which also creates fantastic views.
[Reporter : ] "Pyeongchang is often referred to as the city of the 'Korean Alps' because of its breathtaking views, especially during the winter, as Daegwallyeong gets the heaviest snowfalls in the country."
Early in the morning fog and clouds cover the landscapes and create a somewhat dreamy atmosphere.
A beam of sunlight slices through the cloud as the sheep graze.
The mountainous range of Daegwallyeong is one of the main natural areas of Korea that people like to visit.
From the mountaintop to the East Sea with a smooth highland formed to the West the region attracts travelers from both Korea and abroad.
[Interview : Son Ho-up
Samyang Ranch] "The Samyang Ranch is the biggest in Korea, as well as in Asia, and is often referred to as the Swiss Alps.
The snowy landscapes are beautiful in winter and the herd can freely graze in the spring, the summer and in the fall.
So there are a lot of visitors from both Korea and abroad."
The Wind Power Plant in Gangwon Province is Korea's largest such power generation system with over 40 wind power generators built in Daegwallyeong.
They not only produce energy the windmills themselves add to the scenic views.
Samyang Ranch is another popular place for travelers.
They can not only see farm animals like sheep and goats but also can feed them and be much closer to nature.
With Pyeongchang's picturesque landscape the city hopes to provide a top-quality natural experience to visitors.
[Interview : Kwon Hyuk-seung, Mayor
Pyeongchang County] "We would like to make Pyeongchang a place where athletes and visitors from around the world can experience and learn about Korean culture.
We especially want them to learn about the beauty of Korean landscapes."
I see the city indeed has a beautiful landscape quite different from bustling Seoul.
So, Na-ri Pyeongchang's Olympic bid. What other cities will it be competing against[Reporter : nari] As of right now, Annecy, France and Munich, Germany are in the running with Pyeongchang.
This is actually the lowest number of bid cities since the 1988 Winter Games, but both cities look like tough competition.
I hope Pyeongchang gets chosen this time.
It seems 2018 is a long way to go so, when will we be able to find out who is going to be the next host city for the Winter Game[Reporter : nari] The winning bid will be announced on July 6, 2011 in Durban, South Africa so about a year and a half left.
So, we can all wish Pyeongchang the very best of luck.
Thank you, Na-ri for that report.
DEC 01, 2009
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Friday, SEP 03, 2010, (KST) 
