Rio has had no shortage of issues running up to next week's Olympic Games, from virus
outbreaks, political unrest, doping scandals and economic recession.
There are already concerns that the Rio Olympics will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
As Rio starts to think about what legacy will be left behind once it's all over, Kwon Jang-ho
takes a look back at past cases, and particularly the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and what the Games
can mean for a host nation.
The Olympics have traditionally been sold as a chance for host countries to invest in
their economic future, revive cities and elevate their standing in the world.
But it has not always gone smoothly.
Athens and Montreal were left crippled with debt, and Sydney's Olympic legacy also has
question marks hanging over it.
Rio looks like it could be facing a similar fate.
The economic benefits of the Olympics can be questioned in general.
This Korean study in 2012 compares the GDP growth of host nations with those that failed
in their bids.
It found that the host nations only saw benefits leading up to the Games, and in fact saw deficits
by the second subsequent year.
Even Olympics that were considered successful, such as LA, Barcelona and Seoul found GDP
growth difficult in the following years.
"The economic benefits of a major sporting event are not evenly spread among all sectors.
For example, tourism and construction benefit greatly, but other industries don't, compared
to the amount of money spent on hosting."
"But looking at GDP alone doesn't quite tell the whole story.
For Korea, although the economy did slow down after the Seoul Olympics, there was still
growth, and it had matured to bring a new stage of economic prosperity for the nation.
It marked a turning point for Korea, which went from being a post-war emerging economy...
to a major Asian power."
Kim Un-yong, the vice president of the Organizing Committee for the Games at the time, deems
it the most important event in Korea's modern history after the Korean War.
"Against a backdrop of national pride and togetherness, Korea made great strides in
its democracy, the economy, society, culture, science and communications...
during that time... and put on a successful event.
The Korean War saved our nation, but the Seoul Olympics changed the perception of our country,
and launched us onto the world stage."
Kim said that he sympathizes with the Rio organizers, as Korea also had to tackle a
number of problems leading up to the '88 Games.
"There were calls for the host nation to be changed, political upheaval, threats from
North Korea, the possibility of another Russian boycott.
But whenever there was a problem, we dealt with it, one by one, and that's just what
the Rio organizers have to do."
Signs of a successful or failed Olympics can be seen through the landmarks it leaves behind,
whether the stadiums and venues are successfully integrated into a city or become conspicuous
white elephants, costing millions of dollars in maintenance and refurbishment after the
Games are over.
"Behind me is the main stadium built for the Seoul Olympics.
This and many of the city's Olympic venues are now home to various Korean professional
sports teams -- football, baseball and basketball included.
The facilities not only gave sports teams a bit of extra real estate, they also helped
elevate professional sports in Korea to a new level."
"After the Seoul Olympics closed, the remaining profits were used to form the Korea Sports
Promotion Foundation.
Not only did it and the Games help make sports more accessible to the masses, it also woke
people up to the idea of a professional sports industry."
Up next after Rio is Korea again for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games.
Although the organizers have high hopes for a success similar to the Seoul Olympics, Rio
and other failed Games provide a stark warning.
"There has definitely been money spent inefficiently on the preparations for PyeongChang.
The Winter Games normally take place in remote areas, away from the big cities, so the cost
of infrastructure, such as the ice venues, and what to do with it after the Games end,
are of particular concern."
Although a quarter of a century has passed since the Seoul Olympics, it stands a reminder
of what a global sporting event can do for a nation when it goes well... and serves as
a cautionary tale for countries seeking to avoid the pitfalls.
Kwon Jang-ho, Arirang News.