The Fourth Winter Youth Olympic Games has kicked off in Gangwon Province for a 14-day run.

Under the theme of “Let Us Shine,” the Games’ opening ceremony took place simultaneously from 8 p.m. Friday at the Gangneung Oval, the speed skating venue, and the Pyeongchang Dome for some 13-thousand spectators.

President Yoon Suk Yeol declared the opening of the Games at the ceremony in the Gangeung Oval. Also attending the event were Culture minister Yu In-chon and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach. 

At a reception held in Gangneung ahead of the opening ceremony, the president said in a welcoming speech that the Olympics and sports heal conflicts and bring the world together. He added that young athletes from all around the world and future generations will compete fairly under the Olympic flag and come to acquire valuable experience.  

About 18-hundred athletes from 79 countries will take part in 15 disciplines, including alpine skiing, the biathlon, curling and skeleton, at four cities and counties in Gangwon Province, including Gangneung, Pyeongchang, Jeongseon and Hoengseong.

This is the first time for the Winter Youth Olympics to be held outside of Europe since the inaugural Games in 2012, with Innsbruck in Austria, Lillehammer in Norway, and Lausanne in Switzerland hosting the sporting festival. 

The Youth Olympics is a multi-sport event for athletes between 15 and 18 organized by the International Olympic Committee held every four years in the winter and summer consistent with the current Olympic Games format.