SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea's Olympic committee has approved the alpine city of Pyeongchang's third consecutive bid for the Winter Olympics.

The Korean Olympic Committee chose Pyeongchang as the South Korean site to bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics in a 30-13 vote, committee spokesman Kim Yong said Thursday.

Bids must be supported by national Olympic bodies in order to be accepted by the International Olympic Committee, which will choose the 2018 venue in 2011. Kim said his committee will submit Pyeongchang's formal bid to the IOC in October.

Pyeongchang, located 110 miles northeast of Seoul, lost the 2014 Games' bid to Russia's Sochi and the 2010 bid to Vancouver, British Columbia.

Kim said Pyeongchang is expected to compete with Munich, Germany, and Annecy, France, to host the 2018 Games.