Int'l Olympic meeting in Seoul postponed due to coronavirus pandemic

All News 10:08 May 19, 2020

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- A meeting of national Olympic organizations set to take place in Seoul this fall has been postponed to next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) jointly announced on Tuesday that the 2020 ANOC General Assembly, scheduled to be held Nov. 25-26 this year in Seoul, will instead take place in 2021.

This image, captured from the website of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) on May 19, 2020, shows the emblems for the ANOC and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

"ANOC and KSOC mutually agreed that given the current global pandemic and wide-spread restrictions on international travel, it was in the best interests of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and all Olympic stakeholders to cancel this year's ANOC General Assembly," ANOC said in a statement posted on its website. It added that the new dates for the General Assembly will be announced after further review.

The ANOC General Assembly is an annual gathering of 206 NOCs. The KSOC had planned to use that occasion to promote its bid to co-host the 2032 Summer Olympics with North Korea. KSOC President Lee Kee-heung once talked about organizing a meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, along with international sports leaders, near the 38th parallel border during the ANOC General Assembly.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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