(LEAD) Seoul mayor says open to co-hosting 2036 Olympics with North Jeolla

SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Wednesday that the city has no reason to reject a possible request from North Jeolla Province, South Korea's candidate for the 2036 Summer Olympics, to co-host the event.

"Whatever form of proposal North Jeolla may make, it would essentially amount to co-hosting. I intend to accept it," Oh said at a press conference.

Oh said he has no intention of raising objections or making any specific changes a condition for proceeding with the co-hosting arrangement.

North Jeolla, some 200 kilometers south of Seoul, defeated the capital in February last year to become South Korea's candidate to host the 2036 Olympics.

But the province has recently shifted toward co-hosting the Olympics after concluding that hosting the event on its own would be difficult due to inadequate infrastructure, including accommodations, transportation and stadiums.

North Jeolla Gov. Lee Won-taeg met with Oh at Seoul City Hall on Sept. 7 to propose co-hosting the Olympic Games. Seoul reportedly requested that major events, including the opening and closing ceremonies, be held in the capital.

"It is difficult for the Seoul government to formulate a position, as North Jeolla has yet to make any practical proposal," Oh said. "Regrettably, however, the matter must be viewed from the perspective of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)."

"The IOC's focus may be on identifying a host location that minimizes costs and inconvenience. A joint hosting arrangement would face the question of whether the IOC would favor an Olympics that requires a two- to three-hour round trip between Seoul and Jeonju (one of the major cities in North Jeolla Province)," the mayor said.

He then asked the central government to present a well-structured proposal to North Jeolla after considering whether the IOC would ultimately approve the co-hosting arrangement.

In response to Oh's comments, North Jeolla Gov. Lee said in a statement, "We will continue to have discussions with the city of Seoul regarding enhancing global competitiveness to host the Summer Olympics."

"We will have more specific talks at a working level," Lee added.