[Photo News] Excitement runs high for opening ceremony of PyeongChang Olympics

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- Attendees of the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, including babies, wait in line before being admitted to the venue in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, Friday.The opening ceremony is set to kick off at the PyeongChang Olympic Plaza at 8 p.m. A total of 2,920 athletes from 92 countries will be competing at the Winter Games in PyeongChang over the next few weeks.  Photo by The Korea Herald stafff(Photo by Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)  (Photo by

Feb. 9, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Useful apps for games visitors

For foreigners visiting for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games but have no idea where to go what to do, one of the world’s most wired countries in the world offers a barrage of mobile applications for assistance.These are some of the mobile apps that provide assistance on transportation, food and even language.All applications are also provided in English, and are available for both android and iPhone. An image of Atlan app in use. (Mappers)3-D navigation app “Atlan”This nifty app combines detail

Feb. 9, 2018

[Herald Interview] Gangwon governor defines 23rd games as ‘cease-fire Olympics’

Gangwon is the only province that lies both South and North of the Korean Peninsula. And Cheorwon and Goseong counties in the province have also been split by the two Koreas for more than six decades.In that context, Gangwon Province and its regional government officials are pinning great hopes on the 23rd Winter Olympics, which kicked off in PyeongChang in the nation’s eastern province, Friday. North Korea’s participation in the games are estimated to have doubled the excitement of many officia

Feb. 9, 2018

[Photo News] Isolated for centuries, Gangneung opens doors

   Having a climate with cooler summers and milder winters, as well as refreshing coastal views with creamy sand and splashing blue ocean waves, the city of Gangneung remained isolated for centuries. A 500 kilometer-long mountain range separates the coastal city from the nation’s major metropolitan cities, including Seoul. Demarcating the Korean Peninsula and stretching from Wonsan in North Korea to Busan, the mountain range Taebaek made a mountain pass rising 832 meters above sea level -- Daegw

Feb. 9, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] PyeongChang TV coverage to reach record number of global viewers

A record number of viewers is expected to tune into the PyeongChang Winter Olympics’ television broadcasts, according to a report released by the International Olympic Committee on Friday.The Media Guide released by the IOC predicts that this year’s event will score record statistics in both the scale of media coverage and number of worldwide broadcast hours. PyeongChang has already set the record for the most number of participating countries -- 92, compared to previous Winter Games. Some 5 bil

Feb. 9, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Thermoses not allowed at opening ceremony

Those heading to the opening ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games will have to leave their hot beverages behind.Spectators are not allowed to bring thermoses or glass containers to the Olympic opening ceremony, set to be held Friday at 8 p.m., due to safety reasons.Organizers of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics said that such containers could be thrown at spectators or used as dangerous explosives. Empty thermos and glass containers are banned as well, along with those containing beverag

Feb. 9, 2018

[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

Feb. 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.

Feb. 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

Feb. 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

Feb. 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

Feb. 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

Feb. 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

Feb. 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

Feb. 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

Feb. 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

Feb. 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

Feb. 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

Feb. 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

Feb. 8, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Tips from a first-timer in South Korea: Travel essentials for the Winter Olympics

With just a couple days to go until the 2018 Winter Olympics, those of you visiting South Korea for the first time should get acquainted with some travel essentials. Especially if your to-do list doesn’t include getting hypothermia or ending up in Pyongyang.Slovakian athletes in Korea (Yonhap)Ditch what you already knowAs foreign visitors, there will always be the inevitability of language barriers and cultural differences, as well as getting hopelessly lost. But eventually, you’ll find that get

Feb. 8, 2018