Seoul to Bid for 2036 Olympic Games without North Korea’s Pyongyang

A visitor walks past the Olympic Rings Monument in Tokyo, Japan, 28 February 2023. (EPA)
A visitor walks past the Olympic Rings Monument in Tokyo, Japan, 28 February 2023. (EPA)
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Seoul to Bid for 2036 Olympic Games without North Korea’s Pyongyang

A visitor walks past the Olympic Rings Monument in Tokyo, Japan, 28 February 2023. (EPA)
A visitor walks past the Olympic Rings Monument in Tokyo, Japan, 28 February 2023. (EPA)

Seoul will pursue a bid for the 2036 Summer Games without reviving efforts to co-host an Olympics with the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon told Reuters.

Amid hopes for better relations with the nuclear-armed North, Seoul sent a proposal for co-hosting the 2032 Olympics with Pyongyang to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2021, before Brisbane was named as host city.

"I think the strategy for 2032 was doomed to failure because of unpredictable inter-Korean relations," Oh said in an interview.

The 2032 joint bid had sought to build on the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics hosted in the South in 2018, during which athletes from both Koreas marched under a unified flag at the opening ceremony and fielded a combined women's ice hockey team.

IOC President Thomas Bach welcomed the joint bid at the time as a "historic initiative".

But relations have since soured again, and North Korea has tested a record number of ballistic missiles in the past year.

Pyongyang routinely trades threats with Seoul and its allies in Washington, where officials say North Korea may be preparing to resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time since 2017.

Oh said Seoul would remain flexible to the idea of holding a few events in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) or Pyongyang if relations improved enough by that time.

An official with the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) said it had not received formal statements of intent from either Seoul or the southern city of Busan on a 2036 bid.

It would be up to the individual cities in consultation with the national government to decide whether to jointly host with Pyongyang, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing deliberations.

Among potential rivals for the Games, Qatar is expected to make a push to host the event following its successful staging of last year's football World Cup, while India, Germany and Egypt are also reported to be considering a bid.

Mexico has also thrown its hat into the ring for the 2036 Games.



Barcelona Signs Goalkeeper Joan Garcia from Crosstown Rival Espanyol

Espanyol's Spanish goalkeeper #01 Joan Garcia catches the ball during the Spanish league football match between RCD Espanyol and FC Barcelona at the RCDE Stadium in Cornella de Llobregat, on May 15, 2025. (AFP)
Espanyol's Spanish goalkeeper #01 Joan Garcia catches the ball during the Spanish league football match between RCD Espanyol and FC Barcelona at the RCDE Stadium in Cornella de Llobregat, on May 15, 2025. (AFP)
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Barcelona Signs Goalkeeper Joan Garcia from Crosstown Rival Espanyol

Espanyol's Spanish goalkeeper #01 Joan Garcia catches the ball during the Spanish league football match between RCD Espanyol and FC Barcelona at the RCDE Stadium in Cornella de Llobregat, on May 15, 2025. (AFP)
Espanyol's Spanish goalkeeper #01 Joan Garcia catches the ball during the Spanish league football match between RCD Espanyol and FC Barcelona at the RCDE Stadium in Cornella de Llobregat, on May 15, 2025. (AFP)

Barcelona is signing Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García, who was once linked to a move to Arsenal, to a six-year contract, the Spanish champion said Wednesday.

The 24-year-old Garcia recently finished a stellar first season in La Liga when he led all goalkeepers in saves with an average of almost four a game.

He will now join Espanyol’s main rival on a contract until June 2031.

Barcelona said it activated a release clause of 25 million euros ($28.5 million) and that Garcia is expected to sign the contract Friday in a “private ceremony” at the club's offices.

The fee could help Espanyol reinforce a squad after it only avoided relegation on the final day of the season.

Garcia had been close to a possible move to Arsenal last summer after he helped Spain win Olympic gold in Paris. He stayed put and was one of Espanyol’s best players.

Garcia has yet to debut for Spain’s senior side, but it's considered only a matter of time before he does if he continues to play well. He helped Spain win the Olympic gold medal in Paris last year.

“The time has come to part ways. Today I say goodbye to the club that has been my home since I was 15,” he said on social media. “I’ve given everything to help the team, to represent this badge with the utmost dedication, and to live up to what it means to wear this shirt."

Garcia said he would understand the backlash from Espanyol fans for him joining its rival.

“I know this decision won’t be easy for everyone to understand,” he said. “I’m not asking you to do so. But I do want you to know that it was a carefully considered decision, considering not only my career, but also what’s best for the club, my family, and me.”

Garcia's arrival to Barcelona puts in question the role of veteran Marc-André ter Stegen, who was injured most of the season. Ter Stegen is under contract through 2028.

Following Ter Stegen’s injury, Barcelona convinced Wojciech Szczęsny to come out of retirement and sign a contract for the remainder of last season. Barcelona’s other goalkeeper is Inaki Pena.

While several Barcelona players have joined Espanyol later in their careers, it is rare for an Espanyol player to move to Barcelona. Their derbies are heated affairs.

Barcelona won the Spanish league this year.