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, clapped, danced and cheered.

To help them feel more “at home,” an 80-strong North Korean female marching band showcased North Korean pop songs and Korea’s traditional song “Arirang.” 

Photo by Yonhap
Written by Catherine Chung (cec82@heraldcorp.com)