Jeonbuk Self-Governing Province presents a sustainable Olympic blueprint with Olympic City 3.0 model

Nov 17, 2025

Jeonbuk Self-Governing Province presents a sustainable Olympic blueprint with Olympic City 3.0 model
Photo provided by Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province



Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province announced the vision of a new Olympic city that prioritizes residents and the environment through the model of 'Olympic City 3.0'.

Jeonbuk Province held the '2025 Olympic City Forum' at Chonbuk National University on the 15th, attended by international Olympic officials, sports experts, Olympic stars, and journalists. The forum examined the competitiveness of Jeonbuk and Jeonju as Olympic cities and sought ways to develop sustainably.

The keynote session, led by Kyung Hee University professor Kim Do-kyun, was held under the theme of 「Olympics and Cities」. Park Joo-hee, chairman of the International Sports Strategy Committee, emphasized the importance of global cooperation in hosting the Olympics through his first presentation. It analyzed sports diplomacy strategies of competing countries and cities and suggested the direction of Jeonbuk and Jeonju. Chairman Park proposed three key strategies in the presentation of the `Global Olympic Stage and Urban Diplomacy.' ▶ Cultural Olympics that combine K-culture and sustainable models ▶ City brand integration ▶ Establishment of multilateral cooperative governance linking IOC, OCA, and UNESCO and creation of a sustainable sports hub in line with IOC's 'Fit for the Future ▶ Creation of sustainable legacies through the convergence of carbon-neutral hosting plans and cities, education, culture, and tourism. Chairman Park explained that the Jeonju Summer Olympics should be a competition that leaves the entire city as a legacy, not a stadium.




Cho Hyun-joo, a senior researcher at the Korea Sports Policy Research Institute, presented 'The Evolution of Olympic Cities: From 1.0 to 3.0'. Cho defined the Olympic city as 'Living Legacy' and insisted on the transition to Olympic City 3.0, which is centered on citizens and sustainability. According to Cho, 1.0, represented by the Seoul Olympics, is an era of state-led symbols. 2.0 is an entrepreneurial urban model with urban competitiveness like the 2012 London Olympics. Represented by the 2024 Paris Olympics, 3.0 is centered on sustainability and civic centrality.

The goal of Olympic City 3.0 is to operate low-carbon and decentralized, expand civic participation, and revitalize the living area. 3P, or People, Planet, and Policy, were cited as core values. Cho stressed that the Olympics should be redefined as a 'process' and 'system' rather than a one-off 'event'. He said that Jeonbuk and Jeonju's strategy to host the Olympics could be a leading model for Olympic City 3.0, calling for the internalization of Olympic-value urban policies, such as improving the city's life, environment, health, and fairness, and introducing innovative services.

Jeonbuk Self-Governing Province presents a sustainable Olympic blueprint with Olympic City 3.0 model
Photo provided by Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province
The afternoon session began with a performance by Jeonju University Taekwondo Demonstration Team 'Fight Abi'. Through journalists and Olympic stars, time continued to shed light on the charm of Jeonbuk and Jeonju, a sports city, and its potential as an Olympic city. In the first session, journalists from inside and outside the province discussed the theme of 'Most Korean City, Most Innovative Olympics'. From the perspective of journalists, we looked at how sports can change Jeonbuk and Jeonju. Participants presented their opinions based on their understanding of current issues in Jeonbuk and their experience in covering sports sites around the world. Analyzing the impact of sports on urban brands, urban economies, residents' lives, and local industries, it proposed strengths and weaknesses of Jeonbuk and Jeonju, future tasks, and feasible solutions.




The second session featured Olympic stars under the theme of 'The Future of Sustainable Korean Sports'. Lee Dong-guk, Oh Sang-wook, Kwak Yoon-ki, talked about his relationship with Jeonbuk and Jeonju and his charm as a sports city, expressing surprise at the power of fandom that is second to none. The athletes presented the conditions for a great Olympic city based on their experience in the games. The environment outside the stadium, such as movement, food, and safety, is just as important, so a differentiated strategy is needed. Jeonbuk and Jeonju evaluated that they have sufficient competitiveness to meet these conditions.

Governor of North Jeolla Province Kim Kwan-young said, `As North Jeolla Province and Jeonju overtook Seoul as candidates for hosting the Olympics, we will go beyond simple hosting to create a sustainable Olympic city that realizes the value of the Olympics"With this forum as an opportunity, we will strengthen public-private cooperation and prepare various events for the Olympic city that we are creating with the residents of the province."

Reporter Roh Joo-hwan






This article was translated by Naver AI translator.