By Duncan Mackay

Pyeongchang 2018 have dismissed a proposal to co-host some events with North Korea ©Getty ImagesA proposal for Pyeongchang 2018 to co-host some Winter Olympic events with North Korea has been ruled out by officials who again claimed that no sports will be held outside the country.


Gangwon Province Governor Choi Moon-soon had raised the prospect of some of the snowboarding being held in North Korea, a country that the South is still officially at war with.

He claimed that it would guarantee North Korea took part in the Games.

But Kwak-Young-jin, vice-president of planning and administration at Pyeongchang 2018, has shot down the plan before it has even had the chance to get off the ground, insisting snowboarding will take place, as planned, at Bokwang Snow Park.

"With the construction for all competition venues already underway, we have already made it crystal-clear that there is no point of discussing co-hosting of the Olympics," Kwak told South Korean news agency Yonhap News.

"We're concerned that talks of co-hosting the Olympics at this stage will only have adverse effects on Pyeongchang's Olympic preparations."

Kwak claimed he had "grave concerns and strong regret" over Choi making his proposal public. 

He had make "inappropriate comments that disappointed the people of South Korea", Kwak said.

"It will be realistically difficult to co-host the Olympics with North Korea," he added.

Pyeongchang 2018 has come increasingly under the spotlight since the end of Sochi 2014 ©Getty ImagesPyeongchang 2018 has come increasingly under the spotlight since the end of Sochi 2014 ©Getty Images

Pyeongchang 2018 are coming under increasing scrutiny with only three years until the start of the Games with doubts having been raised over how much money it has raised in sponsorship and its plans for the multi-million dollar venues after the Games.

"We have our plans on how to make the most of the facilities after the Winter Games," Kwak told Yonhap News.

"But we have to find more effective solutions.

"We will have to address our shortcomings as we progress."

An added complication is that Pyeongchang 2018 President Cho Yang-ho is currently embroiled in a major scandal involving Korean Air, the company he is chairman and chief executive of. 

Cho Hyun-ah, his eldest daughter and former vice-president of Korean Air, is facing several serious charges following an incident last month when she ordered one of the company's planes to return to its stand at JFK Airport in New York City following a row with cabin crew over a packet of nuts.

Pyeongchang 2018 claim that the row is not affecting the amount of time Cho can spend working on the Olympics and Paralympics but the issue is bound to be among the main issues raised when the International Olympic Committee hold a project review in South Korea on January 15 and 16.

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