S. Korea's Incheon selected as host of 2014 Asian Games

S. Korean City of Incheon as the Host of the 2014 Asian Games.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Tuesday selected the South Korean city of Incheon as the host of the 2014 Asian Games.

Located about 80 kilometers west of Seoul, Incheon will be the third South Korean city to host the quadrennial Asian Games, following Busan in 2002 and Seoul in 1986.

Incheon, Korea's third-largest city with a population of 2.74 million, began preparations for its bid for the Games in 2005 after receiving official approval and support from the government. .

In its 40-minute presentation to the OCA, Incheon offered free flights and accommodations to all participants. The city also promised to raise a fund worth US$20 million to support Asian countries that have not yet won medals in the Games.

"From now on, we will prepare for the perfect games during the next seven years to cooperate with the government," said Ahn Sang-soo, mayor of the city. "We will bring state-of-the-art IT ... to such infrastructure as telecommunications, public relations and game organization, as well as sports facilities."
He added being selected as the host city will help the port city's efforts to become a free trade zone and a Northeast Asian business hub.

"The selection translates into international recognition and could raise awareness in the eyes of investors," the mayor said.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun sent a congratulatory message to Incheon's bid committee shortly after the announcement.

The main venues, Munhak World Cup Stadium and Samsan Gymnasium, were highly evaluated by the OCA on-site inspection team late last year. The city also plans to build an athletes' village with sports parks and a public golf course to prepare for the Games.

The competition is expected to create 270,000 new jobs and pump 18.6 trillion won into the local economy.

Incheon is expected to be a training site for both the Beijing Olympic Games next year and the 2010 Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou.