2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games

Choo Urges N. Korea to Join PyeongChang Olympics: Ruling Democratic Party chairwoman Choo Mi-ae has asked for Washington’s cooperation in bringing North Korea to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. In a news conference at UN headquarters in New York on Friday, Choo said that as leader of South Korea's governing party, she requested that North Korean athletes take part in the winter games. She expressed hope that by taking part in the Olympics, North Korea would join the path toward a new era of peace on the Korean Peninsula. She said North Korea's participation would be a symbol of a safe and peaceful Olympics. She said she hoped that the North Korean pairs figure skating team of Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik would compete in PyeongChang as they secured their Olympic berth last month. Choo said that if North Korean performance teams and cheering squads can also join, the Olympics would be an even greater festival. Regarding an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping for Choo to attend a global meeting of political parties scheduled this month in Beijing, the ruling party chief noted that North Korean representatives are also expected to come to the event. She said if she gets to meet with the North's delegation, she will express hope for Pyongyang's participation in the PyeongChang Games.; 2017-11-18
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Culture Minister: No Country Considering Opting out of PyeongChang Olympics: South Korea’s Culture Minister says no country is considering opting out of the PyeongChang Olympics for safety reason, downplaying the risk of inter-Korean conflicts during the South’s first winter games. Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Do Jong-hwan made the remark during a meeting with reporters in New York on Tuesday afternoon, a day after he observed the adoption of a resolution of the Olympic Truce for the 2018 Games at the UN General Assembly. Responding to foreign media reports that some European countries, such as France, Austria, and Germany, may not participate in the PyeongChang Games due to safety concerns, Do said he visited those countries and confirmed that that is not the case. The minister said the countries were mentioning a hypothetical response over a possible conflict between the two Koreas ahead of the Olympics, and none of them were seriously considering not competing. Do also said it's possible that North Korea will take part, citing that North Korean figure skaters had already qualified to compete.; 2017-11-15
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Promotional Web Site Opens for PyeongChang Olympics: The Organizing Committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games opened a Web site, hellopyeongchang.com, on Tuesday to better promote the games. Jointly launched by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Gangwon Province, the Web site is designed to create an atmosphere of citizen participation. The site is hosting a number of campaigns encouraging the public to post photos of their Olympic ticket purchases, share special tips on enjoying the games, and promote the county of Pyeongchang to foreign friends. The organizing committee will select 20 participants for an opportunity to have lunch with President Moon Jae-in who is a PR ambassador for the Winter Olympics. The lucky 20 will receive a gift of the "Moon Jae-in watch" which includes the president's signature. A committee official said the Hello PyeongChang Web site will continuously update various contents and campaigns for the public to enjoy and take part in.; 2017-11-14
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S. Korea Hopes for N. Korea's Participation in PyeongChang Games: The Unification Ministry has expressed hope that North Korea will decide to take part in next year’s PyeongChang Winter Games and hold sincere talks with South Korea on making the upcoming games an Olympics of peace. The ministry revealed the wish in a statement on Tuesday regarding the UN General Assembly’s unanimous adoption earlier in the day of a resolution calling for a truce around the period of the PyeongChang games. The ministry said that through the latest resolution, UN member states have revealed hope that the PyeongChang games will promote peace and understanding of humankind through sports and the Olympic ideal and provide a vital opportunity to create peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia. The ministry said that peace is the fundamental spirit of the Olympics, noting that the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics contributed to promoting reconciliation between the East and West and ending the Cold War. The ministry said through the upcoming games, Seoul hopes not only to build peace on the Korean Peninsula but also promote world peace and cooperation.; 2017-11-14
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UN Adopts Resolution on Olympic Truce for 2018 PyeongChang Games: The UN General Assembly has adopted a symbolic resolution calling for a truce around the period of the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. The resolution, “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal,” was adopted by consensus without voting on Monday at the 72nd General Assembly. The resolution calls on the nations of the world to uphold the Olympic Truce for the time of the Olympic Winter Games. It specifically asks member states “to ensure the safe passage, access and participation of athletes, officials and all other accredited persons taking part in the Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games.” The resolution is adopted every two years ahead of the Summer and Winter Olympic games to declare a truce and safe passage for all participants during the athletic events. The PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are slated to run next year from February ninth to 25th and March ninth to 18th, respectively.; 2017-11-14
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Exhibit Offers Preview of PyeongChang Olympics' ICT: A special exhibition has opened at the National Assembly showcasing information and communications technologies(ICT) that will be featured during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The exhibit on Monday and Tuesday is an opportunity for citizens to experience in advance "smart ICT" features of the PyeongChang games in February. On display are technologies in five core areas of fifth-generation mobile communications, Internet of Things, ultra high definition(UHD) broadcast, artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Liberty Korea Party lawmaker Song Hee-kgyoung, who cochairs the Assembly's fourth Industrial Revolution forum which hosted the exhibition, said the PyeongChang Olympics should serve as a showcase for South Korea's world-class ICT prowess so it can also power the country's growth engine.; 2017-11-13
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S. Korea's Culture Minister to Promote PyeongChang Olympics at UN: South Korea's Culture Minister will travel to New York City on Saturday to promote the PyeongChang Winter Olympics at the United Nations. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Do Jong-hwan will attend the UN General Assembly to observe the scheduled adoption of the resolution of the Olympic Truce for the 2018 Games. The resolution calls on UN member states to comply with the truce between seven days before the opening of an Olympics and seven days after the closing ceremony. Minister Do will also play host to “PyeongChang Night,” an official reception event for the Games, along with other members of the South Korean entourage, including Lee Hee-beom, head of the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Games. Through media briefings and interviews, Minister Do will also proclaim South Korea’s will to host a “Peace Olympics” while attending a UN session on the PyeongChang Games to be hosted by the Korea Society.; 2017-11-10
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Winter Olympic Torch Relay Begins in S. Korea: Marking 100 days until the start of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the Olympic flame arrived in Seoul on Wednesday. A torch relay has now begun which will wrap up on February ninth, the opening day of the winter games. The flame for the PyeongChang Games was first lit at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece on October 24th. After an eight-day relay through Greece, it made its way into South Korean hands having traveled over 8,500 kilometers. The flame arrived at Incheon International Airport at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Some 750 people were on hand to welcome its arrival, including PyeongChang Organizing Committee chairman Lee Hee-beom and sports stars such as figure skating champion and PyeongChang games PR ambassador Kim Yu-na. South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon stressed in his speech the significance of hosting the Winter Games 30 years after the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He noted the success of the ’88 games as well as the 2002 South Korea-Japan World Cup, and expressed hopes for a repeat in Pyeongchang as well. The torch relay kicked off Wednesday with the first torch bearer being You Young, who made headlines for becoming the youngest national ladies' singles figure skating champion in Korea at age eleven last year. A total of 75-hundred torch bearers will carry the flame some two-thousand-18 kilometers across South Korea before it is delivered to the PyeongChang Olympic stadium for the opening ceremony on February 9th. The 23rd Winter Olympics in PyeongChang will be held from February 9th to the 25th under the slogan "Passion.Connected." Some 65-hundred athletes from 95 countries will compete in 102 events. The opening and closing ceremonies and most snow sport events will take place in PyeongChang, while all ice sports will be held in Gangneung and downhill alpine skiing will be in Jeongseon. Basic facilities and stadiums have been completed for the most part with Olympic test events already held successfully. Amid the simmering North Korea crisis, there is a determination among organizers to ensure the PyeongChang games are an Olympic of peace. For South Korea, following a period of political turmoil and conflict, the event is considered to play a key role in promoting national unity. The Olympics is also expected to generate over 32 trillion won in economic effects over the next ten years.; 2017-11-05
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92 Nations Expressed Intent to Join PyeongChang Olympics: Ninety-two countries are known to have expressed intent to take part in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February. The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the Olympic & Paralympic Games made the assessment based on preliminary registration results as of Tuesday. The committee said North Korea which has won the right to compete in the figure pair skating event has not yet applied. A committee official said they cannot confirm until the registration deadline that North Korea will not participate. The final registration deadline is January 29th. The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia was the largest in terms of the number of participating countries which stood at 88.; 2017-11-02
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100-Day Countdown to PyeongChang Olympics Begins: Anchor: The 100-day countdown to the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games began on Wednesday. Construction has been completed for all 12 venues for the winter sports event and trial operations of a KTX bullet-train service linking Incheon International Airport and Gangneung have also begun. Our Bae Joo-yon has more. Report: Final touches are being made to the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium which will see the opening and closing ceremonies of the first Olympics hosted by South Korea in 30 years. Eyes around the world will be on the stage of the five-cornered stadium located in Daegwanryeong-myeon in Pyeongchang on February ninth. The venue can accommodate up to 35-thousand people. Construction of all 12 venues where athletes will compete has been completed. Seven of the venues that are snow-related are housed in the PyeongChang Mountain Cluster, including the Alpensia Ski Jumping Center and Yongypong Alpine Center. The remaining five venues are ice-related venues, housed in the Gangneung Coastal Cluster, including Gangneung Ice Arena and Kwandong Hockey Center. Construction of a KTX bullet-train railway linking Incheon International Airport and Gangneung has also been completed. Services are set to begin at the end of the year. Currently, services are being operated on a trial basis. Once the railway goes into service, it will only take one hour and 50 minutes to travel from South Korea's main airport to Gangneung. With just 100 days left, the organizing committee of the winter games and Gangwon Province are exerting all-out efforts toward promoting the Olympics. As of Wednesday afternoon, 31 percent of tickets to events have been sold. Online ticket sales began on September fifth. Starting next Monday, Olympic tickets will also be sold at Seoul City Hall, the Gangwon Provincial Government building, Incheon International Airport and KTX stations in 19 cities nationwide. With the Olympic torch having arrived in South Korea from Greece on Wednesday, the organizing committee and Gangwon Province plan to actively sell tickets and gather support from various organizations and the people. Bae Joo-yon, KBS World Radio News.; 2017-11-01
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