[PyeongChang 2018] North Korean troupe packs something extra for Seoul performance

As North Korea’s Samjiyon Orchestra neared the end of its Seoul performance on Sunday, its leader Hyon Song-wol stepped on to the stage and grabbed the microphone. North Korean Samjiyon Orchestra's leader Hyon Song-wol performs Sunday in Seoul. Yonhap“I’ve crossed the inter-Korean borders twice to come here to the South. It pained me to realize that the distance between Pyongyang and Seoul is so close but it feels so far away,” Hyon said as she announced that she will sing a song herself. “I’ve

Feb. 11, 2018

[Photo News] Crowded roads at Olympics

CONGESTED ROADS TO OLYMPICS -- The Daegwallyeong IC linking Seoul to the main venues for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics is congested with traffic Sunday. A total of 2,952 athletes are competing in 102 sports across 15 different events over the course of 16 days. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald) CONGESTED ROADS TO OLYMPICS -- The Daegwallyeong IC linking Seoul to the main venues for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics is congested with traffic Sunday. A total of 2,952 athletes are competing in 102 s

Feb. 11, 2018

[Photo News] Norway sweeps gold, silver and bronze at men‘s 30 km skiathlon

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- Norway swept the medals board at the men’s 30km skiathlon on Feb. 11, at PyeongChang Olympics. Simen Hegstad Krueger nabbed the gold despite a fall in the first lap. Krueger crossed the line in 1 hour, 16 minutes, 20 seconds. Martin Johnsrud Sundby followed, taking silver, and Hans Christer Holund took bronze. This was Norway’s first gold in the PyeongChang Olympics.The crowd gathered to cheer despite the biting cold.  Gold medalist Simen Hegstad Krueger (Center)

Feb. 11, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] The man who shook hands with the North Korean cheerleader

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- When Jeong Yeon-min, 57, came to watch the men’s short track speedskating Olympic game at Gangneung Ice Arena on Saturday, he was in for two surprises. One was South Korea’s first gold won by speedskater Lim Hyo-jun, and second was a rare spectacle of North Korean cheerleaders waving and singing at the section right next to him. He even had the chance to shake hands with one of the ladies. Jeong Yeon-min shakes hands with a North Korean cheerleader. (Paul Kerry/The

Feb. 11, 2018

[Photo News] Lim Hyo-jun celebrates gold

Here are the Olympic gold medalists and winning team for Saturday at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, including South Korea's first gold Lim Hyo-jun.South Korea’s Lim Hyo-jun won gold in the mens 1,500 meter short track speed skating on Saturday, the first medal of Olympic for the host country. YonhapSven Kramer celebrates his gold in the mens 5,000 meter for his third straight title. YonhapLaura Dahlmeier took Germany’s first gold medal in the women’s biathlon sprint. YonhapNetherlands gold m

Feb. 11, 2018

After gold, short track gold medalist Lim Hyo-jun to keep pushing

PYEONGCHANG -- South Korea's first gold medalist at PyeongChang Olympics Lim Hyo-jun said Sunday that he will never let his guard down to bring home more gold, while competing on home soil at the world's biggest winter sports competition."It was like a dream come true. It's still incredible that I won gold," the 21-year old said at the medal ceremony held at the PyeongChang Medal Plaza in PyeongChang. "But there are still many competitions out there. I'll do my best to keep this tempo further." 

Feb. 11, 2018

US IOC member suggests joint Korean team for Nobel peace prize

PYEONGCHANG -- A senior American member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) called on Sunday for North and South Korea's joint women's ice hockey team to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.Angela Ruggiero, a four-times ice hockey world champion and Olympic gold medallist, told Reuters she would ask others to nominate the team, which included 12 players from North Korea which is still technically at war with the South.It was the first time an inter-Korean team had competed at an Olym

Feb. 11, 2018

Celebrity faces backlash over remarks during PyeongChang broadcast

PYEONGCHANG -- South Korean celebrity Kim Mi-hwa came under fire Sunday for having made seemingly uninformed and highly-opinionated comments during MBC TV's broadcast of the PyeongChang Winter Games' opening ceremony.The veteran comedian-turned-radio host appeared as a guest commentator on MBC TV's broadcast of the PyeongChang Olympics'on Friday, along with the station's sportscaster Park Kyung-chu and commentator Hur Seung-wook.  Kim Mi-hwa (right, Yonhap)Many viewers have expressed discomfort

Feb. 11, 2018

[Photo News] ‘Super Store’ in Olympic Park welcomes customers

The largest official stores of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics opened in Gangneung Olympic Park and PyeongChang Olympic Plaza on Thursday and Friday respectively. On Sunday afternoon, the Super Store in Gangneung was packed with sports fans, who were looking for souvenirs and gifts. Super Store in Gangneung Olympic Park. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)The store features some 1,100 official licensed products, including Olympic mascots Soohorang and Bandabi rag dolls. The Super Stores will r

Feb. 11, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] NBC apologizes to Korea after correspondent’s comment at PyeongChang

US broadcaster NBC has apologized for a controversial comment made on Korea-Japan relations during Friday’s opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Games, after receiving numerous complaints and angry posts online.　It was NBC’s Asian correspondent, Joshua Cooper Ramo, who said “every Korean” thinks Japan has been a very “important” example to South Korea’s own achievements. 　Many South Koreans, as well as Korean-Americans, found the comment to be insensitive to the nation’s own history, including Ja

Feb. 11, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Lim Hyo-jun’s short track gold marks promising start for Korea

South Korea’s Lim Hyo-jun on Saturday won the nation’s first gold medal in the men’s 1,500-meter short track speedskating event, bringing an auspicious start for the country that aims for a medal sweep at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.Lim crossed the finish line in an Olympic record time of 2:10.485 at Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, a subhost city for the Winter Games. Sjinkie Knegt of the Netherlands took the silver medal and Semen Elistratov of Olympic Athletes from Russia

Feb. 11, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Alibaba opens cloud tech showcase at PyeongChang Olympics

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- Alibaba Group Holdings, the official cloud services and e-commerce partner for the Olympics until 2028, has opened a new cloud technology showcase space at the Gangneung Olympic Park.　The PyeongChang Winter Games is the first Olympic Games for Alibaba to act as an official sponsor and promote its cloud vision for the international sporting event.The Alibaba cloud technology showcase is an interactive space that shows athletes, spectators and Olympic organizers how

Feb. 11, 2018

[Graphic News] Winter Olympic Games: Skeleton

　Skeleton competitors ride a small lightweight sled head first down an ice course while lying flat on their stomachs. The sport was once considered too dangerous for the Olympics. Two gold medals are on offer, for men’s and women’s singles. Unlike the luge, there are no doubles or team events. 　Skeleton was reintroduced to the Olympic program for the Salt Lake City Games in 2002, with a woman’s event added. Sliders speed down ice tracks 1,200 to 1,500 meters long.

Feb. 11, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Meet Olympic pin traders

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- Daniel Presburger might not have competed in any Olympic Games, but he has been to 14 of them -- all in the name of collecting pins. Olympic pin trader Daniel Presburger (center) displays his pins Saturday at the Gangneung Olympic Park, Gangwon Province. Bak Se-hwan/The Korea HeraldWhile many are attending the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics as spectators, Presburger came to South Korea from Los Angeles to trade tiny, colorful enamel pins and buttons that come in

Feb. 11, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] EXO, CL to perform at Olympics closing ceremony

K-pop boy group EXO and rapper CL of now-defunct K-pop girl group 2NE1 will grace the closing ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.The two global K-pop acts confirmed Wednesday that they will perform at the closing ceremony that will take place at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. local time. (YG Entertainment, S.M. Entertainment)Dubbed “the biggest boyband in the world,” eight-piece boy band EXO has been on a winning streak since its debut in 2011. The group’s “Th

Feb. 11, 2018

[Newsmaker] Kim Il-sung’s face haunts South Koreans amid PyeongChang festivities

It has been 24 years since North Korean founder Kim Il-sung died, but the face of the man who started the reclusive regime has sparked furor among Koreans with the “Kim Il-sung mask” controversy.The unified Korean women’s hockey team -- the first unified Korean team in the Olympics -- faced Switzerland in a well-fought, but ultimately defeated, match. During the game, the group of supporters from North Korea were seen cheering the unified team while wearing a mask of a young man. After the image

Feb. 11, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] On Social Media: Korean women’s ice hockey team’s Olympic debut

The much-awaited Olympic debut of Korean women’s ice hockey team took place on Saturday night.The team, which is the first in Olympic history to have athletes from both Koreas, lost 8-0 to Switzerland.Here is what’s being talked about the historic match on social media, including the North Korean cheerleaders, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, among others.“Hats off to her”“Hats off to her” Swiss goalie @schellingf gave a shout out to Team Korea goalie So Jung Shin, who made 44 saves on 52 sho

Feb. 11, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] PyeongChang Day 2: What’s trending

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- The PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games is now well into its second day. Here is what’s trending in South Korea and abroad right now.　Kim Young-nam, (top row, left) the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly of North Korea, tears up while watching athletes from South Korea and North Korea march under the Korea Unification Flag during the 2018 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony at PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, Friday. To the right of Kim Young-nam

Feb. 10, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Koreas' first unifed women's hockey team falls 8-0 in Olympic debut

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- The unified Korean women’s hockey team lost 8-0 against Switzerland on Saturday’s preliminary round match, but there was an unmistakable good feeling among the South Korean audience. The combined athletes created a symbol of good will between the two Koreas that have been divided for over 70 years. For the first time in any Olympics, the two countries still technically at war joined up to compete together in a unified team Korea at the Kwandong Hockey Center in Gan

Feb. 10, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Lim Hyo-jun secures S. Korea's first gold in PyeongChang Olympics

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- Lim Hyo-jun secured South Korea’s first medal of the PyeongChang Olympics on Saturday with gold in men’s short track speedskating.Lim won the race in 2 minutes and 10.485 seconds, a new games record, in the final on the men’s 1,500 meters at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. Lim Hyo-jun wins gold (Yonhap)Fellow South Korean and world No. 1 Hwang Dae-heon fell while in third with two laps to go, and did not finish.Earlier in the day Choi Min-je

Feb. 10, 2018