Olympic Stadium to Undergo W400 Billion Remodeling

The Jamsil Olympic Stadium, the main venue of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, will be remodeled for the first time in 39 years.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday said it will spend around W400 billion on the project, which will be completed in December 2026 (US$1=W1,322). The stadium was designed by renowned architect Kim Swoo-geun in 1984.

The city plans to maintain the exterior but replace the race track and seats. The stadium contains 65,000 seats, which are narrow and lack proper back rests. They will be widened and reduced to 60,000.

Ahead of the 2019 Korean National Sports Festival, 30,000 seats were already replaced. Also, 358 seats for the disabled will be added.

A world-class swimming pool capable of hosting international competitions will be built next to the main stadium.

The stadium will be cooled by hydrothermal energy. A city official said, "We will be able to save about 35 percent of summer air-conditioning costs if we pump in water from the Han River and circulate it through pipes."

The remodeling is aimed at winning the bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said last year that he will seek the bid when he visited the International Olympic Committee's headquarters in Switzerland.