News
- Vatican Delegation to Attend IOC Session, Winter Olympics
- The Vatican will send a delegation to the International Olympic Committee's(IOC) general meeting in Seoul and the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Vatican vice spokesperson Paloma Garcia Ovejero said on Sunday that the IOC invited the Vatican to send a delegation to its general meeting and the opening ceremony for the first time. The delegation will be headed by Monsignor Melchor Sanchez de Toca, undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture and head of its "Culture and Sport" section. The Vatican delegation will attend the IOC general meeting from Monday to Wednesday as observers and also attend the opening ceremony set for Friday. Speaking ahead of his departure to South Korea, the delegation chief said that he was invited as a distinguished guest to the opening of the Rio Olympic Games, but the relationship between the Holy See and the IOC has been brought to a higher level, noting that the IOC invited the Holy See to the opening of the Olympic Games as an official delegation.
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2018-02-05
News
- N. Korea's Nominal Head of State Kim Yong-nam to Visit S. Korea during Olympics
- North Korea will send its nominal head of state and other senior officials to South Korea this week for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. The Unification Ministry said that North Korea informed the South on Sunday night that Kim Yong-nam, the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, will visit the South leading a 22-member delegation for the trip. The high-level delegation's three-day visit will start on Friday, when the opening ceremony of the Olympics will be held in Pyeongchang. The North said the delegation will also include three officials and 18 supportive staffers, but did not provide details of the three officials. Kim Yong-nam is referred to as North Korea’s nominal head of state while the regime is completely controlled by leader Kim Jong-un.
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2018-02-05
News
- Moon, Trump Agree To Close Cooperation On PyeongChang, North Korea
- Anchor: President Moon Jae-in spoke on the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games as well as Korean Peninsula affairs. Trump also held phone talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and agreed to strengthen pressure against the North. Kim In-kyung has more. Report: President Moon Jae-in held his first phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump in a month late Friday to discuss close cooperation on the success of the PyeongChang Olympics and Paralympics. Senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan said Saturday that during the 30-minute conversation, Moon expressed hope that the momentum on improving inter-Korean dialogue spurred by the Olympics will continue to help build peace on the Korean Peninsula. He also said he hoped the visit to South Korea by Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the U.S. delegation to the Olympics, would help the peace-building process. Moon assessed that Trump's consistent and principle-based policies on Korean Peninsula affairs greatly contributed to fostering an atmosphere for a peaceful Olympics, including the participation of North Korea at the games. While stressing that he's 100 percent with South Korea, Trump called on the need to ease the trade imbalance between the two nations. Moon said that Seoul will sincerely respond to ongoing negotiations aimed at revising the bilateral free trade agreement. Meanwhile, the White House revealed that the U.S. leader also spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the phone on Friday. The two heads of state reportedly agreed on the need to ramp up the international community's maximum pressure campaign on Pyongyang to induce the regime to give up its nuclear weapons. Trump and Abe also discussed ways to strengthen Japan's self-defense capabilities, including a broader missile defense system, and the relocation of a U.S. Marine base in Okinawa Prefecture. Trump met with eight North Korean defectors at the White House on Friday. He told the defectors that inter-Korean dialogue over the Olympics is a good thing, but no one knows what will happen after that. The attendees included Ji Seong-ho, who had been among the president's guests of honor at his State of Union address to Congress this week. Kim In-kyung, KBS World Radio News.
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2018-02-03
News
- 2 Koreas to Jointly March in Paralympics Opening, Closing Ceremonies
- South and North Korea will march together in the opening and closing ceremonies of the PyeongChang Paralympics for the first time in the Paralympic Games’ history. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced Friday that North Korea will be taking part in the PyeongChang Paralympics and that athletes of the two Koreas will march together in the opening and closing ceremonies. IPC President Andrew Parsons also unveiled the decision to provide North Korea with two wild cards bids to compete in PyeongChang. He said two North Korean para Nordic skiers, Ma You-chul and Kim Jung-hyun, have been selected to take part. It also marks the first time ever for the North to participate in the Winter Paralympic Games.
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2018-02-03
News
- PyeongChang Athletes' Village Mayor Welcomes Record-Number of Olympians
- Anchor: With just a couple days to go before the PyeongChang Winter Olympics kicks off, the athletes' village has opened its doors to Olympians from around the world. The PyeongChang Organizing Committee has named two Olympic gold medal-winning athletes as honorary ‘mayors’ of the village throughout the period of the games. South Korea’s sole International Olympic Committee member Ryu Seung-min is one of those mayors. He welcomed the Olympic athletes in an interview with KBS Korea 24. Our Oh Soo-young has more. Report: A record two-thousand-925 athletes from 92 countries and regions set to participate in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics are settling into their home for the month -- the PyeongChang Olympic Village. Former Olympian and gold medalist in table tennis Ryu Seung-min welcomed the athletes in his honorary role as mayor of the village. In an interview with KBS World Radio Korea 24, Ryu expressed his dedication to the role of supporting the largest-ever number of Olympians, stepping into their shoes as a four-time Olympic athlete. [Sound bite: PyeongChang Olympic Village Mayor Ryu Seung-min (English)] “Through my four times’ experience in the Olympic village, I fully understand the importance of the Athlete’s Village to improve and keep athletes performance level. I will make every effort to keep the facilities safe and have the athletes feel comfortable and stay in good condition while staying in the village.” Catering to diverse needs, the village provides a dining area serving local and international cuisine all around the clock as well as a multi-faith center. Athletes will also have access to a recreation center and a state-of-the-art medical center, as well as “high street” facilities such as a café, a convenience store and a bank – amenities you’d expect to find in any village. As mayor, a former Olympian and the lone South Korean member of the International Olympic Committee, Ryu pledged his utmost efforts to create a supportive, harmonious atmosphere throughout the Games. [Sound bite: PyeongChang Olympic Village Mayor Ryu Seung-min (English)] “First of all, as an IOC member, I hope that the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games will be successfully hosted and contribute to the development of the Olympic movement and deliver a message of world peace throughout the world. As mayor of the Olympic Village, I will do my best to communicate well with all the athletes and their entourages to provide best conditions during the period of the games.” The full interview with Olympic Athletes’ Village Mayor Ryu Seung-min will air on KBS World Radio Korea 24 on Tuesday evening Korea Time. Oh Soo-young, KBS World Radio News.
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2018-02-03
News
- Moon, Trump Pledge Olympic Success in Phone Talks
- President Moon Jae-in spoke on the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump late Friday and discussed the PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and Korean Peninsula affairs. Senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan said Saturday that during the 30-minute conversation, the two leaders agreed to closely cooperate for the success of the Games. Moon expressed hope that the momentum on improving inter-Korean dialogue spurred by the Olympics will continue to help build peace on the Korean Peninsula. He also hoped the visit to South Korea by Vice President Mike Pence who leads a U.S. delegation to the Olympics can also help this peace-building process. Moon assessed that Trump's consistent and principle-based policies on Korean Peninsula affairs greatly contributed to fostering an atmosphere for a peaceful Olympics, including the participation of North Korea in the games. Trump meanwhile stressed the need to ease the trade imbalance between the two nations to which Moon said that Seoul will sincerely respond to ongoing negotiations aimed at revising the bilateral free trade agreement.
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2018-02-03
News
- Pro-N. Korea Group in Japan to Cheer for N. Koreans at PyeongChang
- A pro-North Korean organization in Japan reportedly plans to send a cheering squad to South Korea next week to root on North Korean athletes competing in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Japan’s Asahi Shimbun said the first group of cheerleaders from the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan will visit South Korea for five days beginning Thursday of next week. They are expected to watch the opening ceremony of the Games next Friday and the women’s ice hockey events on Saturday. During a working-level meeting last month, the two Koreas agreed to allow the group to send cheerleaders to the Winter Games. The group is planning to send a total of 170 cheerleaders to PyeongChang in three groups.
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2018-02-02
News
- Gangneung at Night
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While Gangneung's daytime activities may be a bit more obvious, it can feel difficult to find things to do in the area at night. However, look a bit more closely and you'll see that there are a lot of bars and cafes to entertain yourself at night.
Going to a cafe can feel like a daytime activity. However, near Gangneung's Anmok Beach lies the famous Gangneung Coffee Street. A few of the cafes and the nearby bars are open until midnight or later, making it a mellow nighttime activity.
One of Gangneung's most famous nightlife areas is a craft beer bar that's been converted from a makgeolli (Korean rice wine) factory. The bar incorporates local flavors into their brews and sees the largest crowds on Friday and Saturday nights.
Another popular nightlife spot is Gangneung's university area. Here, you'll find a handful of bars with live music and dancing.
Those of you staying at a guesthouse may find that you can have a bit of nightlife right at your own accommodation. Guesthouses often have cafes of their own where your fellow housemates are drinking and eating late-night cup noodles.
Those who aren't inclined to drink can check out the Shin-Yeong Cinematheque for a late-night movie. The theater plays everything from independent films to foreign titles. -
2018-02-02
audioOn My Way to PyeongChang!
- Pres. Moon to Meet Top US, China, Japan Officials Next Week
- President Moon Jae-in will meet with top-level officials from the U.S., China and Japan next week as he is set to be on a diplomatic roll during the PyeongChang Olympics. In a news briefing on the president's Olympics diplomacy on Friday, the presidential office's new spokesperson, Kim Eui-kyum, said Moon will sit down for talks with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence next Thursday, or the eve of the Winter Games. On that same day, the president will also meet with Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee member Han Zheng at the presidential office. Next Friday, Moon will hold back-to-back summits with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in the Olympic city of Pyeongchang -- after a luncheon with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Gangneung, the sub-host city of the Olympics. Prior to those meetings, the South Korean president will hold a summit with Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid at the presidential office on Tuesday, followed by summits with the Canadian Governor General Julie Payette and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė on Wednesday. On Thursday, Moon will hold a summit with Alain Berset, the leader of Switzerland, before holding a luncheon meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. During the sporting event, the South Korean president will also meet the heads of state from Latvia, Norway, Slovenia and the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon will meet with the prime ministers of Estonia and Finland and the president of the UN General Assembly.
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2018-02-02
News
- N. Korean Athletes Enter Olympic Athlete's Village in Gangneung
- North Korea’s 32-member delegation to the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games entered the athlete’s village in Gangneung on Thursday shortly after arriving in South Korea. The team, led by North Korean Vice Sports Minister Won Gil-woo, flew in on a South Korean chartered plane from the North's Kalma Airport and landed at Yangyang International Airport in Gangwon Province at around 6:09 p.m. Thursday. Accompanied by three coaches and 18 assistants, the ten North Korean athletes will compete in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, pair figure skating and short track speed skating. The group will be joined on Sunday by 12 female North Korean ice hockey players after the joint Korean women's ice hockey team competes in a friendly match against Sweden. The North's three alpine skiers, three cross-country skiers and two short track skaters all skipped their morning practice scheduled for Friday while the figure skating duo Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik held their morning practice as scheduled.
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2018-02-02
News
