Lee expresses confidence in successful staging of Daegu Athletics Championships

SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said Thursday he is confident that the upcoming World Championships in Athletics will be successful and significantly upgrade the image of its host city, Daegu.
The Aug. 27-Sept. 4 championships in Daegu, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, are expected to be the largest-ever with about 2,500 athletes participating. It is the first time that South Korea hosts the event.
"I firmly believe that the Daegu athletics championships will be successful," Lee said during a visit to Daegu Stadium, adding that PyeongChang's winning of the right to host the 2018 Winter Olympics has boosted South Koreans' interest in sports.
"A successful staging of this will lead to a successful hosting of the PyeongChang Olympics," he said.
Lee also said the championships will greatly increase the global awareness of Daegu and boost its image.



Earlier in the day, Lee visited a company at an industrial complex in Daegu and held discussions with company and local government officials about boosting the city's regional economy.
Lee stressed the importance of creating a business-friendly environment after receiving a briefing that the city is trying to attract big companies to the complex.
"Businesses head to places that are better than others by even a tiny bit," Lee said. "Land prices are of course important, but what is also important is to create a pro-business environment."
jschang@yna.co.kr