The warning concerns the deal between Korean Air and the International Skating Union (ISU). The chief executive of Korean Air, Cho Yang-ho, is head of Pyeongchang's Olympic bid and the ISU is headed by Ottavio Cinquanta, an IOC member considered a potentially influential figure in the vote for 2018.
An official Pyeongchang 2018 statement said its bid "fully respects" the rules of conduct for candidate cities. “We are aware of the decision taken by Korean Air to delay their sponsorship of the International Skating Union until after the Host City decision on the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games," it read.
“We appreciate the logic of this decision at this time which has also been conveyed to the International Olympic Committee. We believe that this matter is now closed and we can all move forward intothe next phase of the 2018 bid campaign.“
Korean Air and the ISU have agreed to postpone their sponsorship deal until after the 2018 host-city vote next July. A separate deal between electronics giant Samsung and the International Rowing Federation did not break any rules, the IOC added.
