[PyeongChang 2018] PyeongChang 2018 kicks off, aiming for peace, sports and culture

The opening ceremony for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games was held Friday, kicking off a sports festival that brings together athletes, delegates, spectators and media outlets from all around the globe.Until Feb. 25, PyeongChang, Gangneung and Jeongseon in Gangwon Province will host the leading athletes in winter sports. Under the theme of “Peace in Motion,” the opening ceremony held at the Olympic Plaza in Daegwallyeong-myeon was a fanfare for the festivities to take place over the next two we

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Gangneung’s disappearing treasure: coffee vending machines

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- A quiet costal town near PyeongChang, Gangnueng has long been known for its local coffee scene. The area is most famous for its annual coffee festival and “cafe street” -- where about 40 coffee shops can be spotted alongside Gangneung’s scenic Anmok beach. 　During the upcoming Olympic Games, Gangenung is scheduled to host hordes of foreign visitors and athletes. The city will promote what it is known for, by holding a special edition of its annual coffee festival.

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Olympics in South Korea: Then vs. Now

The Olympics have returned to South Korea 30 years after Seoul hosted the Summer Games, and the country has gone through rapid changes since 1988. The Korea Herald has put together a list to compare how the two events are different, as well as how the hosting country has progressed over the past three decades.(File Photo / The Korea Herald)[The Hosting Cities] Seoul vs. PyeongChang The two Olympics in South Korea, first in 1988 and now in 2018, differ the most in that they are Summer and Winter

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korean bobsledder, N. Korean hockey player to carry flag together at opening ceremony

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- South Korean male bobsledder Won Yun-jong and North Korean women's hockey player Hwang Chung-gum will carry the Korean Unification Flag together at the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Games on Friday.PyeongChang's organizing committee unveiled the list of all flagbearers for the ceremony, set to start at 8 p.m. Friday at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium. Won was selected as the South Korean bearer earlier this week, and Hwang was announced as the North Kore

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2018

[Photo News] Artificial moon lights up Gangneung lake

Bright lights showered Gangneung’s most famous lake Thursday evening as a moonlight-inspired spectacle captivated those attending the Olympics. The light art show “Moonlight Lake” took place at Gyeongpo Lake in Gangneung, Gangwon Province as part of the 2018 PyeongChang Cultural Olympiad, a series of cultural events taking place during the Olympics.Visitors will be able to witness the light show thrice every day for 10 minutes at 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. until Feb. 25. The show features a gigan

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Victor An's Olympic ban appeal dismissed by CAS

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- The top sports tribunal on Friday rejected appeals filed by 47 Russians, including South Korea-born short track speed skater Victor An, against an International Olympic Committee ban from the PyeongChang Olympics.The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced the rulings on the appeals of 45 athletes and two coaches who challenged the IOC decision over their alleged involvement in a state-sponsored doping program at a press conference in PyeongChang."The CAS arbitr

More SportsFeb. 9, 2018

[Weekender] PyeongChang official stores greet sports fans nationwide

(Shot by Park Ju-young / Edited by Park Ju-young)The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games will kick off Friday and its official stores opened nationwide in Korea are welcoming sports fans from all over the world. The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games launched its first official merchandise store in May 2017, and since then expanded the number of the stores to 22.Korea’s retail giant Lotte Group, one of the sponsors for the PyeongChang Olympic Game

More SportsFeb. 9, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] IOC President Bach carries torch for PyeongChang on day of opening ceremony

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach carried the torch for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Friday, the day of its opening ceremony.Bach, a former Olympic fencing champion for West Germany, joined the torch relay on its final day, running a route stretching from the International Broadcasting Centre to the Main Press Centre inside the Alpensia Resort in PyeongChang. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach carries the torch for the

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korean short trackers aim to start Olympics with men's gold

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- The South Korean short track speed skating team aims to start its Olympic journey on Saturday by adding another gold to its glowing medal table.The first gold medal in short track will come from the men's 1,500 meters, where three South Koreans, Hwang Dae-heon, Seo Yi-ra and Lim Hyo-jun, will compete. And Hwang is considered the most prominent skater as the 18-year-old currently stands as world No. 1 in the distance.Lim also won gold in the first 1,500m race duri

More SportsFeb. 9, 2018

[Newsmaker] NK troupe performs Tchaikovsky, South Korean songs at historical performance

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- South Korea’s well-known pop-songs, Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” and Secret Garden’s “You Raise Me Up” were among the pieces performed by North Korea’s art troupe as part of the pre-Olympics celebrations in the sub-host city of Gangneung on Thursday. Despite being met with public protests on their arrival earlier this week, the communist state’s well-known troupe, the Samjiyon Orchestra, was met with a full audience at the Gangneung Art Center.Some 150,000 South Korea

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Team Korea House opens at Olympic venue to promote host country

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- South Korea on Thursday opened a facility aimed at promoting the nation and providing support for international athletes and guests during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.An opening event for Team Korea House was held at the three-story center located within Gangneung Olympic Park in Gangeung, a sub-host city of the PyeongChang Winter Games. Several other countries, including Japan and Switzerland, have also opened similar centers within the Olympic venue.Built by

Olympic GamesFeb. 8, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Two Koreas conduct joint short track training ahead of Olympics

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- Short track speed skaters from the two Koreas conducted joint training on Thursday at Gangneung Ice Arena, the first time the athletes have warmed up together.North Korea has sent two short track speed skaters to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Choe Un-song will compete in the men's 500 meters, and Jong Kwang-bom will enter the men's 1,500m.Choe, regarded as the better of the two, suffered an ankle injury earlier this month, but he seemed stable throughout the tra

Olympic GamesFeb. 8, 2018

[Video] Anticipation builds ahead of PyeongChang Olympics opening ceremony

(Shot by Park Ju-young / Edited by Park Ju-young)PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province — With just a day left until the opening ceremony, anticipation is running high among those attending South Korea’s first-ever Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang.　On Thursday afternoon, roads leading up to PyeongChang Olympic Plaza were packed with vehicles, while certain pathways were closed off with heavy police security ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony. Colorful flags promoting the Winter Games in PyeongChang, G

More SportsFeb. 8, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Star-studded K-pop festival celebrates Olympics

Some of the biggest names in K-pop will commemorate South Korea’s first Winter Games at the K-pop World Festa for the next three Saturdays.The concert is co-hosted by the Gangwon Provincial Government and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It will be held on Saturday, Feb. 17 and Feb. 24 at Gangneung Wonju National University Stadium in Gangwon Province from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday’s concert will feature K-pop idols such as BoA, Red Velvet, Seventeen and EXID.  The poster for K-pop W

Olympic GamesFeb. 8, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] World gathers for peace, fair play at PyeongChang

The 2018 Winter Olympic Games formally kicks off in the mountainous county of PyeongChang in Gangwon Province on Friday. The event will usher in 17 days of unrivalled competition and fraternity on snow and ice, temporarily allaying tension on the Korean Peninsula, which has been plagued by North Korean nuclear and missile tests.The Feb. 9-25 games will be the largest Winter Olympics, featuring nearly 3,000 athletes from 92 countries. The world’s top athletes will compete in 102 events in 15 disc

Olympic GamesFeb. 8, 2018

[Photo News] Gangneung Media Center gets rave reviews

 With the Winter Olympics kicking off Friday, reporters hailing from all over the world are apparently much satisfied with the Gangneung Media Center that opened at the SEAMARQ Hotel in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. While the PyeongChang Main Press Center requires reporters to pay to use facilities, those reporters with a press pass can use facilities, including the cafeteria, free-of-charge. The two media centers were opened to journalists a month ahead of the Winter Games. The large-scale facil

More SportsFeb. 8, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] ‘Dream comes true’ in PyeongChang

Through the ongoing Dream Program, the PyeongChang Winter Games are serving as a stepping stone for budding teen athletes. Participants of this year’s program were to take part in carrying the Olympic torch Thursday, showing their support for the sporting event that kicks off Friday. Participants of Dream Program 2018 participate in a press conference at the Gangwon Media Center at Seamarq Hotel in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Thursday. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald) Participants of Dream Prog

Olympic GamesFeb. 8, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Korean alpine skier to shrug off selection controversy, aim for top-30 finish

Korea is not a newcomer when it comes to alpine skiing, but when it comes to the sport's speed events, like downhill and super giant slalom (super-G), it is.Korea formed its national team for alpine speed events in July 2016. And with Jeongseon Alpine Centre -- the venue for alpine speed events -- constructed for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the country had to send a skier who is specialized in downhill and super-G.Kim Dong-woo will be the only Korean skier at Jeongseon Alpine Center in Jeon

More SportsFeb. 8, 2018

[Photo News] North Korean athletes enjoy festive welcoming ceremony

With just one day left until the Winter Games kick off, participants gathered at the athletes’ village in Gangneung, a subhost city of the PyeongChang Olympics, to officially welcome North Korean athletes on Thursday morning. During the event, the athletes watched a flag-raising ceremony and enjoyed various arts and cultural performances. The North Korean athletes showed a tight bond with one another.Soohorang, the official mascot of the games, also joined the athletes, as they smiled brightly,

More SportsFeb. 8, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Cold weather ‘no challenge’ for athletes

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- Even the icy chill of PyeongChang’s temperatures comes as no shock to athletes who have been training for years under freezing conditions, according to officials of teams from abroad just a day before Friday’s opening ceremony. Audrey Robichaud of Canada competes in the Feb. 8 Ladies' Moguls Qualification in PyeongChang. Yonhap“I think we’ll be okay for the Olympics as well as at the opening ceremony. We’re strong and the weather is not problematic,” John Van Vli

Olympic GamesFeb. 8, 2018