Empty Seats at Asian Games Disappoint Organizers

Ticket sales for the ongoing Asian Games have fallen dramatically short of expectations.

According to the organizing committee, ticket sales amounted to W21.7 billion (US$1=W1,039) as of Wednesday, a mere 62 percent of the targeted W35 billion.

Lee Il-hee of the organizing committee claimed ticket sales have outstripped the W15.3 billion for the 2002 Busan Asian Games and may yet pick up because some popular events such as baseball and soccer lie ahead. But he admitted that even for the closing ceremony sales remain sluggish.

Meanwhile, the committee officially apologized for some mismanagement including the abrupt departure of some 100 volunteers and a shambles in the running of shuttle buses.

The committee was also under criticism when the Games cauldron was temporarily went dark due to technical problems on Saturday, just a day after the opening ceremony.