korea's histry dates back more than five millennium and a visit to this beautiful land is like visit through time. Known as the 'Land of the Morning', Korea is blessed with majestic mountains and clear rivers.
Over the years, Korea has experienced rapid economic growth and has also emerged as a sporting powerhouse in recent times.
Some of Korea’s achievements include the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the Asian Games (1986, 2002 and 2014), the 2003 Summer Universiade (2003 in Daegu, 2015), and in 2011, the IAAF World Championships.
The hosting of the IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011 will propel Korea to the unique distinction of having hosted the ‘Triple Crown’ of major international sporting events – the Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup and the IAAF World Championships.
Colorful Daegu
In a study done by the Korea Society Opinion Institute in 2008, Daegu boasts the highest resident satisfaction among the special and metropolitan cities in Korea.
Seven expressways, the high speed Korean Express Train (KTX), an international airport, and an hour's drive to the harbour makes Daegu an attractive major transportation hub.
A pleasant city with superior residential conditions
※ Daegu boasts the highest resident satisfaction among the special and metropolitan cities in Korea (Korea Society Opinion Institute, 2008)
Daegu is also famed for its clear rivers and is reputed as the ‘greenest city’ in Korea.
The city was selected as a ‘Solar City’ by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 2000 and was a recipient of the ‘Environmental Award (Silver) at the 12th Asia-Pacific Forum for Environment and Development.
Daegu will host the World Energy Congress in 2013.
Daegu's History
Daegu was a political and cultural hub in the Yeongnam Region of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty period (Daegu became the capital of the Gyeongsang Province in 1601). Daegu was also the birthplace of many national movements, including the National Debt Repayment Movement in the early 1900s.
Led the country’s industrialisation and modernisation periods
- In the 1970s to the 1980s, Daegu’s textile industry led the growth of the national economy.
Located at the heart of the Southeastern Region Korean Peninsula, Daegu covers an area of 885.7 ㎢ and has a population of 2.54 million citizens..
Daegu’s Natural Environment
Daegu rests in the valley between Mt. Palgong and Mt. Biseul.
Sincheon River runs through the centre of the city, joining the Geumho River, and the Nakdong River.
Nakdong River skirts the western boundary of Daegu, and its ample water resources were key to Daegu’s transformation into a great industrial city.
Daegu’s Climate
Daegu has a climate, giving the city four distinct seasons.
Daegu has become an eco-friendly, clean, and ideal city to live in.
'Daegu, the Hub of korea's industrial Growth'
* Daegu is the leader of Korea’s textile, machinery, fashion, and design industries. Its leadership is supported by the development of new technologies for high-value-added fabric products, the fostering of fashion brands, and the development of sophisticated mechatronics technologies.
* Daegu functions as a central management point for such hinterland industrial cities as Gumi Electronics Complex, Daejeon Daedeok Science Park and Techno Valley, POSCO Complex, Ulsan Chemical and Heavy Industries Complex, and Changwon-Masan Machinery Complex.
* Daegu opened The Exhibition and Convention Center (EXCO) in 2001, a prime venue for world conventions and exhibitions. The EXCO presents world-class facilities for a wide range of exhibitions and conventions, fora, seminars, concerts, and other events.
Bidding for World Championships
01 Background
When Daegu hosted the 22nd Summer Universiade 2003, IOC President Count Jacques Rogge, the IAAF Council Members, and other officials from the international sports community highly praised Daegu City’s competition facilities and its competition operation capabilities. The members recommended that Daegu host the World Championships. This inspired Daegu to bid for the IAAF World Championships.
02 Application for the 2009 Championships and Subsequent Withdrawal
Daegu submitted a letter of intent to the IAAF on January 26, 2004. Eight cities, including Daegu and Berlin, initially applied to host the Championships. In March 2004, the IAAF Council became concerned over the heated bidding, and requested that Daegu and some other cities withdraw their bids.
Daegu was aware of the dim chances of attracting the 2009 Championships since the 2007 World Championships was to be held in another Asian city, Osaka. Daegu thus decided to withdraw its bid for the 2009 Championships, but instead to try to lobby for the 2011 Championships at the government level. These initial bidding efforts, however, confirmed Daegu’s superior competition facilities and its commitment to athletic development with the IAAF. They likewise enhanced Daegu’s profile and earned positive support for attracting the 2011 Championships from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Korea and other relevant agencies.
03 Application for the 2011 Championships
In 2004, Daegu agreed to form a government-level bidding committee together with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Korea Association of Athletics Federations, Korean Olympic Committee, and other relevant agencies. Accordingly, on June 1, 2005, the Bidding Committee for the IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011 was launched. The Committee then came forward to fully prepare for the 2011 Championships with the support of the political, business, and other sectors.
When the tendering of letters of intent for the 2011 Championships closed in April 2006, it was found that nine cities, including Daegu, applied. When the application for the hosting of the Championships closed on December 1, 2006, it was found that four cities, Daegu, Moscow, Brisbane, and Gotenberg, applied for both the 2011 and 2013 Championships.
The IAAF implied that the 2011 Championships and the 2013 Championships should be held in a non-European nation and a European nation, respectively, leaving people to guess that Daegu will compete with Brisbane.
04 Efforts to Attract the Championships
In an effort to increase the local citizens interest in athletics, Daegu developed the Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting in 2005. Daegu also took advantage of the IAAF’s position to broaden the world athletic base, and Korea’s need to strengthen athletic status, by publicizing the slogan “Carrying the baton for world athletics.” The catchphrase was intended to deliver the message that Daegu should host the Championships in order to develop Korea’s athletics, which will eventually contribute to the development of Asia’s athletics.
To assuage the IAAF’s concerns over the ability to attract a massive audience, from 15 December, 2006 to 10 February, 2007, Daegu campaigned for the collection of 600,000 signatures of potential participants in the World Championships. On 10 January, 2007, barely a month after the start of the campaign, Daegu collected 650,000 signatures, surpassing the target number. The campaign, reported by the media, finally saw 800,000 people signing up to attend the Championships.
Books containing every ten thousand signatures were published and sent to the IAAF Evaluation Team, assuring the IAAF Council Members that there would be no problems regarding the attraction of audiences.
05 Decision to Attract the Championships
The IAAF Evaluation Team visited each candidate city to assess the circumstances for hosting the Championships. From February 22 to 25, 2007, the team visited Daegu’s competition facilities, headquarters’ hotel, accommodations, and the IAAF Congress venue. The team held working-level meetings with the Daegu Bidding Committee as it conducted fact-finding investigations. In the process, the citizens’ enthusiastic support for the event greatly helped in choosing Daegu as the Host City.
The IAAF Council Meeting was held in Mombasa, Republic of Kenya, on 25 - 27 March to decide on the venue for the 2011 Championships. On 27 March, candidate cities presented their proposals, and the IAAF Council went to vote to determine the Host City. At 3 pm on that day, the Host city for the 2011 Championships was announced. The apparently tense IAAF President, Lamine Diack, declared “2011, Daegu” three minutes earlier than the expected announcement time.
Upon the announcement, participating Daegu Bidding Committee Members all sprung from their seats, and held their hands up in joy. The venue was instantly filled with hearty applause and shouts of congratulations, drowning out all other sounds.
Not only Daegu and its citizens, but also other Koreans were all united in successfully attracting the Championships, beating Moscow, Brisbane, and Barcelona. Given the fact that even a city like Berlin managed to attract the Championships after bidding three times, Daegu’s feat of winning the bid with only one attempt has opened a new chapter in Korea’s athletics history.
