South Korea pushes Winter Olympic bid

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is personally pushing his country's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics, a spokesman for Lee said.

The South Korean leader traveled to PyeongChang to meet with the International Olympic Committee Tuesday as it assesses the alpine city, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The IOC arrived in PyeongChang, 112 miles south of Seoul, Monday for a weeklong visit.

"President Lee has decided to meet the IOC delegation in person to convey the South Korean people's aspiration for a successful bid and demonstrate the government's support," said spokesman Cheong Wa Dae.

Lee was to hold a dinner meeting with members of the bidding committee Tuesday night.

The panel is headed by Cho Yang-ho, the chief executive officer of Korean Air, and includes the chairman of Samsung Electronics, Lee Kun-hee.

This is PyeongChang's third straight bid to host the Winter Olympics.