The commitment came after representatives from South Korea, Japan and China met for a trilateral ministerial meeting on sports.

These meetings have taken place since 2016, when the three countries discussed preparations for the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

A second meeting took place in Tokyo in 2018, with 2020's discussion due to take place in Beijing but moved online as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

South Korea's Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo, Japan’s Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Koichi Hagiuda and Gou Zhongwen, director of China’s General Administration of Sport, were in attendance. 

In preparation for the upcoming Games, with South Korea now in the midst of organising Gangwon 2024 rather than Pyeongchang 2018, the three countries agreed to share relevant knowledge and technology, promote events and the exchange of youth culture, cooperate in Olympic education and heritage, and encourage exchanges and cooperation among the host cities and sports associations.

In addition, they recognised the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on sport and agreed solidarity and cooperation would be necessary to overcome the challenges presented by the global health crisis. 

Park then presented a preparatory plan for Gangwon 2024 and called for support from China and Japan to ensure the success of the Games. 

Gangwon Province was awarded the event by the International Olympic Committee at its Session in Lausanne in January 2020. 

Having hosted Pyeongchang 2018, many of the same facilities will be used for the competition tentatively scheduled for January 19 to February 2 in 2024. 

South Korea has also officially proposed holding the Games together with North Korea.

Gangwon’s northern boundary is the Military Demarcation Line, separating it from North Korea's Kangwŏn Province.

Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and Kangwŏn formed a single province.