The new appointments were announced at a special Pyeongchang 2018 Bid Committee meeting - held at the Seoul Olympic Park, a legacy of the 1988 Seoul Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The new Ambassador is Kolleen Park, a musical creative director and head professor at Howon University, South Korea.

Park was born in Los Angeles and her childhood years were split between living in Korea and the United States.

She studied at the California Institute of the Arts and now lives in Korea where she has directed and conducted many large-scale musical productions, hosted musical television programmes and composed several works of original music.

The two new vice-chairmen joining Pyeongchang's campaign are Ki-young Uhm, a celebrated Korean television news anchor and former chief executive of Korea's MBC Broadcasting who is native of Gangwon Province, and Jeong-soh Oh, former Minister of Korea's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA).

This brings the total number of Pyeongchang 2018 vice-chairmen to ten, including senior vice-chairman and Gangwon Province Governor Gwang-jae Lee.

Governor Lee (pictured centre) has presented Pyeongchang 2018 chairman and chief executive Yang Ho Cho (left) and Korean Olympic Committee President Yong Sung Park with a Gangwon Province honorary citizenship certificate.


The honorary citizenship was handed out as the people of Gangwon Province wanted to recognise the Bid Committee's ongoing commitment to help the region secure the right to host the Winter Games in 2018.

Myung-bak Lee, President of Korea, has also visited Chuncheon, the capital of Gangwon Province, to open a new subway line connecting Seoul and Chuncheon.

During his visit, Lee reaffirmed his support for the bid and its Winter Games Plan.

He said: "I would like to offer my congratulations to the new members of the Pyeongchang 2018 Bid Committee.

"The people of Korea have dreamt about hosting a Winter Games in their home nation for many years.

"With the country's continued passionate support for the bid, and with our dedicated Bid Committee steering the campaign, I believe Pyeongchang's dream to be an Olympic Winter Games Host City will become a reality in 2018.

"I am very proud of the work that has already been accomplished on our Winter Games Plan, and that we have kept our promises to the IOC (International Olympic Committee).

"I'm also delighted to reaffirm today that the double-track rail service linking Wonju and Gangneung, an integral part of Pyeongchang 2018's transport plan, has full Government backing and will be completed before 2018."

Cho said: "As we approach the last six months of the bid campaign, we are delighted to have the support of our new Ambassador and vice-chairmen.

"Their business and political experience, and their passion for the bid, will be an asset for PyeongChang 2018's campaign right through to the 2018 Host City decision in Durban [on July 6, 2011].

We welcome our new team members, and I look forward to working with them all as we progress towards important milestones next year including the Candidature File submission in January, and the IOC Evaluation Commission visit in February."


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