Seoul has opened the door to a potential joint bid with North Jeolla Province to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, potentially reshaping South Korea’s bid after the southwestern province ran into concerns over infrastructure and the scale of a solo Games.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Wednesday that the capital is prepared to accept whatever co-hosting proposal North Jeolla puts forward, provided the arrangement gives South Korea a competitive chance of securing International Olympic Committee approval.
“We are prepared to accept any joint hosting arrangement North Jeolla proposes,” Oh said during a press conference at Seoul City Hall.
However, Seoul has not formally committed to a specific hosting plan. Oh said North Jeolla still needs to present a detailed operational proposal, including decisions on where the athletes’ village and media village would be located.
That leaves the potential joint bid at a critical stage.
From Rivals to Potential Olympic Partners
The possible partnership is notable because Seoul and North Jeolla were previously competing for the right to represent South Korea in the 2036 Olympic race.
In February 2025, North Jeolla defeated Seoul 49-11 in the domestic selection vote and became South Korea’s candidate for the international bidding process.
North Jeolla subsequently pursued a bid centered on Jeonju, but concerns emerged over accommodation, transportation and the availability and distribution of sports venues.
The province later proposed joining forces with Seoul, arguing that combining North Jeolla’s bid with Seoul’s established infrastructure could strengthen South Korea’s international competitiveness. The Culture Ministry subsequently postponed its review of North Jeolla’s hosting plan at the province’s request while the joint-hosting option was considered.
Seoul Says the Details Matter
Although Oh has expressed willingness to cooperate, Seoul officials have emphasized that willingness to co-host does not mean the final arrangement has already been agreed.
Yonhap reported that Seoul had previously said there was not yet enough detail in North Jeolla’s proposal to determine its position. Issues raised include the distribution of venues and accommodation facilities, as well as the broader structure of the Games.
The distinction is important: Seoul is open to the idea, but the joint bid itself has not been finalized.
Oh also said Seoul’s participation should be structured around a proposal capable of winning the IOC’s approval, rather than simply adding the capital to the bid.
The Clock Is Already Running
Time is becoming an increasingly important factor.
The IOC is currently considering several potential candidates for the 2036 Olympics. Reuters reported that seven countries, including South Korea, were in preliminary discussions with the IOC, with a shortlist expected in March 2027. The eventual host is expected to be selected in 2029.
That gives Seoul and North Jeolla only a limited window to settle their differences and establish a unified proposal.
A joint bid would also require South Korea to navigate its own domestic approval process. Earlier reporting indicated that changing the structure of the Korean bid could require another domestic selection procedure before the country could move forward internationally.
A Bigger Olympic Ambition for South Korea
If the partnership succeeds, Seoul would bring extensive Olympic experience to the proposal. The capital hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics, while South Korea most recently hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
A successful 2036 bid would give South Korea a chance to become one of the countries to host the Summer Olympics more than once. Seoul also previously explored a joint Olympic bid with Pyongyang for the 2032 Games, although the IOC ultimately selected Brisbane for its targeted dialogue process.
For North Jeolla, meanwhile, a partnership with Seoul could help address some of the infrastructure concerns that have complicated its original Jeonju-centered plan.
The challenge now is turning political willingness into a detailed, financially credible and IOC-compliant hosting blueprint.
With the international bidding process moving forward, the next major question is no longer simply whether Seoul is willing to join North Jeolla.
It is whether the two sides can agree on a plan strong enough to keep South Korea’s 2036 Olympic dream alive.
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