The 22nd Winter Olympics officially kicked off in Sochi, Russia, on Friday with an extravagant opening ceremony.

The organizing committee said a record high 88 countries are participating in the games.

The South Korean delegation was the 60th team to enter the stadium in the opening ceremony at Fisht Olympic Stadium.

Seventy one South Korean athletes, the largest ever Korean delegation to the Winter Games, will compete in skiing, skating, biathlon, bobsleigh, curling and luge.

South Korea aims to win more than four gold medals to rank within the top ten for the third straight Winter Olympics.

Four years ago in Vancouver, Canada, South Korea ranked fifth, its all-time best record. It finished seventh at the 2006 Torino Winter Games.

North Korean athletes failed to qualified for this year's Winter Olympics, although it sent athletes to the 2006 and 2010 games.