The government said Friday it will designate the 2018 Winter Games host city of PyeongChang as a special district and launch a large-scale development project for the successful international event and for sustainable regional growth.

During a meeting of the commission in charge of supporting the 2018 Olympics in South Korea’s alpine city of PyeongChang, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, the government unveiled a comprehensive plan to develop the city and the surrounding areas in Gangwon Province over the next two decades.

Designating the region of some 27.4 square kilometers as a special district, the government plans to invest 3.3 trillion won ($3.1 billion) by 2032 to turn it into a mecca of winter sports and a major tourist destination, according to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.

The district will be divided according to regional features into five special zones such as a winter sports mecca, regional economic development hub and eco-friendly tourist destination, the Secretariat said. (Yonhap News)