(Reuters) - South Korea's North Jeolla province was chosen as the country's candidate in the bid to host the 2036 summer Olympics on Friday, beating capital Seoul 49-11 in a vote by representatives from the national governing bodies of summer and winter Olympic sports.
The self-governing province in the Honam region will compete with Turkey's Istanbul, Chile's Santiago, Indonesia and India to win the hosting rights for the 2036 Games, with others including Egypt expected to join the race as well.
"We've done it. We've created a miracle," North Jeolla governor Kim Kwan-young said in a statement to local media.
The province's Olympic bid strategy would be to pursue the most cost-efficient and eco-friendly games, Kim told reporters.
"We will offer our full support to help North Jeolla win the bid and build plans for further cooperation," Korean Sports and Olympic Committee president Ryu Seung-min said.
North Jeolla was the host for the 2023 World Scout Jamboree that was marred by widespread mismanagement, with the event's organisers facing criticism over poor living conditions for thousands of participants from 155 countries.
Seoul hosted the Olympics in 1988.
The final decision on who will host the 2036 Games will not be taken before 2026, International Olympic Committee (IOC) official Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has said.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
