GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- For 11 days, Gangneung, a coastal city of Gangwon Province, will be bustling with about 8,000 choir enthusiasts from all around the world.

The 12th World Choir Games Gangneung 2023 kicked off Monday with 324 teams, including 95 teams from 33 foreign countries, which will perform both in competition and more in six venues in the city.

At the grand opening ceremony on Monday, each country entered the Gangneung Arena holding a flag similar to at an Olympic Games' opening ceremony. First lady Kim Keon Hee and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyoon attended the ceremony.

This year's event is the first fully in-person games after being held in hybrid format in 2021, but the composition of the participating countries serves as a poignant reminder of the impact of war and the enduring effects of COVID-19, stated Gunter Titsch, president of Interkultur -- an organization that promotes international choral competitions and festivals -- told reporters on Tuesday.

Titsch explained that China's participation has declined significantly from 80-100 teams, as it is still not easy for Chinese nationals to travel to South Korea.

Russia is entirely absent this year. Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, 30-50 teams from Russia would participate.

A special team from Ukraine was in the spotlight as the audience warmly and loudly applauded girls' choir Vognyk. Vognyk's visit to South Korea was made possible through the joint efforts of the WCG 2023 Gangneung Organizing Committee and the Joint Action Committee for Supporting Ukraine.

“This visit is meaningful because it is an opportunity to represent Ukraine’s culture and I’m excited,” Oleksandra Yeltsova, a college student and member of the choir, told The Korea Herald on Monday.

Olena Solovei, the choir’s conductor, said, "I want to sing for peace, touching the hearts of people around the world, especially in South Korea, the only divided country in the world."

For Titsch, it is regrettable that this year's event is without any Russian team.

"It would have been wonderful if there was an opportunity for teams from Ukraine and Russia to sing together. There is a saying that those who sing together don't point guns at each other," Titsch explained.

The organizer’s efforts to invite North Korea were futile, he added. “We invited a North Korean team in 2004 with great help from the North Korean Embassy in Germany and North Korea and South Korea even sang together at that time. This time, they wouldn’t even listen to us whenever we mentioned South Korea,” Titsch said.

In addition to the main competitions, a street parade, concerts and workshop, as well as a general conference of the World Choir Council will take place at various locations in the city including Gangneung Arena, Gangneung Art Center, Gangneung City Hall and other well-known sites such as Gyeongpo Beach and Gangneung Central Market and Gangneung Train Station.

WCG Gangneung 2023 concludes with a closing ceremony on July 13, which will commence with a parade of the participating countries.