[PyeongChang 2018] Organizers in final stage of preparations to welcome guests

With just over a month until the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, organizers in Gangwon Province are in the final stage of preparations for the event. Venues for the PyeongChang Olympics are located across three cities in the province -- PyeongChang, Gangneung and Jeongseon.With heavy snow fall and freezing temperatures expected throughout the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the province’s interagency task force is prepared for snow-removal operations on roads in cooperation with local city and pr

Jan. 3, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Sports minister says PyeongChang 2018 will lead to peace, prosperity on Korean Peninsula

South Korean Sports Minister Do Jong-hwan said Tuesday the upcoming Winter Olympics in the country will usher in an era of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.In his New Year's address to Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism employees, Do also welcomed North Korea's show of interest in participating in the Feb. 9-25 PyeongChang Winter Games. South Korea's Sports Minister Do Jong-hwan (Yonhap)On New Year's Day, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he would consider sending a delegatio

Jan. 2, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Olympic committee welcomes North’s proposal to participate

South Korea’s Winter Olympic Games organizing committee on Monday said they “welcome” North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s proposal to send a delegation to the upcoming Olympics set to be held in PyeongChang next month. A torchbearer holds up the Olympic torch during a relay for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games on Monday at Homigot Sunrise Square, North Gyeongsang Province. YonhapLee Hee-beom, president and CEO of the PyeongChang 2018 Organizing Committee, said that the committee “welcomes the No

Jan. 1, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] PyeongChang Olympics torch relay wraps up its 2017 schedule in Daegu

The torch relay for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics wrapped up its 2017 campaign in Daegu on Sunday.The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG) said the Olympic torch relay had its final relay of 2017 in Daegu, 300 kilometers south of Seoul. "Under the slogan 'Let Everyone Shine,' the Olympic torch relay carried the flame that was lit at Temple of Hera in Greece on Oct. 24 and came to South Korea on Nov. 1," POCOG said. "The Olympic flame has

Jan. 1, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Philippine-based S. Korean entertainer determined to promote home country, PyeongChang 2018

In South Korea he is virtually unknown, but in the Philippines he is a national star.Bang Hyun-sung, better known as Ryan Bang, is a South Korean entertainer who made his name in the Philippines. He is currently a host of popular Philippines variety show "It's Show Time."Since he made his debut in the Philippine entertainment industry in 2010, Bang has visited South Korea on various occasions, but this month he had an unforgettable experience in his homeland: appearing on South Korea's top enter

Dec. 26, 2017

President Moon still hopeful NK will join Olympics

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that the government is conducting talks with Winter Olympic authorities for North Korea’s participation in the upcoming 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.“We are working with the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee for North Korea’s participation. They are both persistently recommending the North‘s participation, and believe that it is possible,” said Moon, during a meeting with sports news

Dec. 19, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] Speed skater Lee Sang-hwa set for pursuit of 3rd straight Olympic gold

South Korean speed skater Lee Sang-hwa is now officially set for her pursuit of a third straight Olympic gold in the women's 500 meters.The International Skating Union on Friday announced the list of all skaters qualified for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The event quota places were awarded based on results of the season's first four ISU World Cup Speed Skating races.The fourth World Cup race took place last weekend, and Lee ranked second overall behind Nao Kodaira of Japan after those f

Dec. 15, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] Korea to host Russia in final tune-up hockey game before Olympics

South Korea will host Russia in the countries' final men's hockey tune-up game next February before the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.Scheduling the match was part of a cooperative agreement reached between the national hockey federations of the two countries in Moscow on Thursday.The Korea Ice Hockey Association said it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Russian Ice Hockey Federation at VTB Ice Palace in Moscow. Both countries are participating in the Channel One Cup tournament th

Dec. 15, 2017

Veteran speed skater says conditioning key to Olympic preparations

Veteran South Korean speed skater Lee Seung-hoon said Tuesday conditioning will be a key to his preparations for next year's Winter Olympics.Lee has put together a strong season so far, grabbing three gold medals at four stops during the International Skating Union World Cup Speed Skating season. Two of the titles came at Lee's main event, the mass start.The mass start, which will make its Olympic debut next February at PyeongChang 2018, is a niche event in speed skating. Unlike other individual

Dec. 12, 2017

S. Korean speed skater Lee Sang-hwa undaunted by rival ahead of Olympics

South Korean speed skater Lee Sang-hwa said Tuesday she remained undaunted by the impressive streak of Japanese star Nao Kodaira.The rivalry in the women's 500 meters has been decidedly lopsided in Kodaira's favor this season. So far during the International Skating Union World Cup Speed Skating season, Kodaira has won all seven 500m races, while Lee has grabbed five silver and one bronze medals.It doesn't bode well for Lee's chances of winning her third straight Olympic gold in the 500m at the

Dec. 12, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] Naturalized hockey forward thrives under weight of expectations

JINCHEON -- In an effort to boost its competitiveness in its Winter Olympic hockey debut in 2018, South Korea has fast-tracked a few Canadian-born players to Korean citizenship. Michael Swift, a skilled forward hailing from Peterborough, Ontario, is one of them.The 30-year-old understands the naturalization comes with the weight of expectations -- after all, the government wouldn't have issued these players new passports unless it felt they could help the national team at the 2018 PyeongChang Wi

Dec. 10, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] PyeongChang 2018's top organizer 'respects' IOC's ban on Russia, seeks clean competition

INCHEON -- The 2018 Winter Games host city of PyeongChang fully respects the recent International Olympic Committee decision to ban Russia over doping, as both parties firmly believe in the value of clean and fair competition, the event's top organizer said.Lee Hee-beom, head of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics organizing committee, told Yonhap News Agency on Friday that PyeongChang has never wavered in its commitment to running a clean Olympic Games."We're of the stance that the Olympic Games mu

Dec. 10, 2017

Yun Sung-bin wins 3rd straight skeleton World Cup gold

South Korean skeleton racer Yun Sung-bin has captured his third straight World Cup gold medal of the season in Germany. Yun won the fourth leg of the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup in Winterberg, Germany, on Friday (local time) with a time of 56.62 seconds, beating his rival Martins Dukurs of Latvia by 0.06. Dave Greszczyszyn was third with 56.88. Originally, winners were to be determined after two runs, but due to heavy snow, IBSF decided not to race the second h

Dec. 9, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korea picks up 2 titles to wrap up Short Track World Cup

Host South Korea picked up two more gold medals to wrap up the International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup Short Track Speed Skating on Sunday.Choi was crowned the women's 1,000 meters champion at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul on the last day of the competition. Then in the men's 5,000m relay, South Korea edged out the Netherlands for its first World Cup relay gold of the season.Also on Sunday, Hwang Dae-heon won silver in the men's 1,000m, and the women's 3,000m relay team took home bronze.Overall,

Nov. 19, 2017

Melania Trump meets Minho of Shinee

US first lady Melania Trump met with Choi Min-ho of K-pop group Shinee at an event for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics on Tuesday.  (Yonhap)The first lady, who arrived in Seoul that afternoon, presented herself at the “Girls Play 2!” campaign at the US Embassy in Korea.  (Yonhap)The campaign, aimed at encouraging girls’ active participation in sports, was prepared by the embassy to promote the Winter Olympics. Choi, who was also at the event, appeared alongside Trump, exciting the audience when he

Nov. 7, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] Olympic torch goes on unique rides in Jeju

The flame for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games was welcomed to southern Island of Jeju on its relay journey to PyeongChang. The flame, which travelled from Athens to Incheon International Airport on Wednesday, was flown south to Jeju Island from which the torch will travel up the Korean Peninsula. Thursday’s leg in the island will span 21.4 kilometers featuring 85 torchbearers on the way.As well as road runners, the torch was conveyed on unique modes of transport. For the first 200-meter leg of the

Nov. 2, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] Suzy bears Olympic Torch

Suzy, a well-known Korean singer and actress, held the Olympic torch for PyeongChang. She ran about 200 meters with the official torch for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Incheon Bridge Wednesday. (Yonhap)(Yonhap)The torch relay started Wednesday morning, when the flame landed at Incheon International Airport. (Yonhap)Suzy posted a photo of herself on her Instagram later with the caption “Cheers for PyeongChang Olympics.” (Instagram)By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)

Nov. 2, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] Kim Yu-na carries Olympic torch

Kim Yu-na, the only figure-skating gold medalist of South Korea, took the white-and-gold Olympic torch on the first leg of its journey to PyeongChang on Tuesday. (Yonhap)The Olympic flame handover ceremony took place at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece. (Yonhap)Kim, an ambassador for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, lifted the torch at the ceremony. (Yonhap)The flame then traveled to Korea by air, landing at Incheon International Airport on Wednesday morning. (Yonhap) (Yonhap)By Im Eun-by

Nov. 1, 2017

PyeongChang 2018 chief optimistic about Paralympics ticket sales

The chief of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games said Sunday he is optimistic about the Paralympics ticket sales as more people will purchase tickets during the multisport event for the disabled athletes.   Lee Hee-beom, who leads the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG), said he is positive that the Paralympics ticket sales will surge once the event begins.   "When the International Paralympic Committee President (Andrew Parsons) visited PyeongCh

Oct. 30, 2017

More than 9,000 PyeongChang Paralympics tickets sold domestically: organizers

Local organizers of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics announced Saturday they've so far sold more than 9,000 tickets domestically, refuting earlier data released by a lawmaker who said only 0.2 percent of available tickets were purchased in South Korea. The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG) said in a statement that 9,401 tickets were sold in South Korea for the PyeongChang Paralympics as of Tuesday, which is equivalent to 4.3 percent of

Oct. 29, 2017