By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Theresia Kurniawan from Indonesia

The PyeongChang Olympics that are currently being held in Korea are definitely one of the most memorable Olympics in their history. These Winter Olympics have caught my attention since the preparation stages that took place around three years ago. I still remember clearly how they promoted the “K-smile campaign” when I went to Korea in autumn of 2015. I even joined the campaign together with 13 fellow winners of the event that was held by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). From that moment, I become more and more interested in the event and started to follow the Winter Olympics in the news.

The Opening Ceremony that took place at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on Feb. 9 was impressive. It was one of the best Opening Ceremonies that I've ever seen. In my opinion, these Winter Olympics surely becmae one of the most memorable Games ever. It's not only delivering a message of peace and passion, but also creates historical and cultural moments for everyone.

As a big fan of the PyeongChang Olympics, here are my favorite historical and cultural moments of these Winter Olympics.

The Athletes



The South Korean and North Korean athletes marched together when they entered the stadium in the Opening Ceremony. As a single Team Korea, they wore the same white jacket and carried the unified Korea flag.

The Guests

One of the guests at the PyeongChang Olympics Opening Ceremony was Kim Yo Jong, the sister of the North Korea leader. It was a historical moment when she shaked hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in during the Opening Ceremony.

The Shows

The Olympic Drones project featured more than 1,218 drones as part of the Opening Ceremony. The drone show dazzled the world and becomes one of the best moments of the PyeongChang Olympics. The show itself was repeated again in one of the medal ceremonies a few days later.

The Costumes



The costumes of the people holding the country names in the Opening Ceremony were incredibly exquisite. They turned traditional Hanbok attire into a beautiful fantasy costume that made the wearer look like a winter queen.

Beside that, the costumes of the medal-bearers and the athlete escorters also have an elegant traditional design. The costumes resemble traditional Korean winter clothes and hats.

The Lighting of the Flame

The Olympic flame was lit by Kim Yuna, a Korean Olympic medalist figure skater. The moment when she lit the flame with the Olympic torch was really spectacular. I was totaly impressed with the way in which the flame shot up into the cauldron.

The Mascots



I really love the cute mascots, Soohorang for the Olympics and Bandabi for the Paralympics. I've never fallen in love with any mascot so much. They are so cute and lovely.

I'm really impressed by the wya in which the PyeongChang Olympic Committee uses the mascots to introduce Korean heritage, dressing the mascots in various kinds of traditional Joseon era attire.

The winner of the Games also receives a Soohorang doll wearing a paper flower hat. Traditionally, this hat was bestowed on people who passed the national Joseon examination.

The Medal Ceremony



At the PyeongChang Olympics, the winning athletes are given a small Soohorang doll instead of a floral bouquet. The medal will be given later in a separate ceremony called the Medal Ceremony at the Medal Plaza. In the Medal Ceremony, winners will receive their medal together with a small wooden artefact with some Hangeul writing and pictures of Pyeongchang on it.

The Olympic medals themselves are also full of Korean heritage and Korean symbols. The side of the medal is decorated with Hangeul consonants that represent the name of the Olympics. The medal's strap is created using traditional fabric with Hangeul consonants forming a snowflake pattern. Not only the medal and the strap, but the medal's case, too, has elegant curves that were inspired by traditional Hanok architectural styles.

The Torch Relay

The Olympic torch relay in Korea was held over 101 days with total of 7,500 runners that represent the 75 million people who reside on the Korean Peninsula. The torch was transported by different kinds of transportation systems, from a historical turtle ship to a modern yacht.

There were two torch relay moments that I liked the most. The first one was on Jan. 13 when the torch was carried by a torch bearer dressed like King Sejong the Great at Gwanghwamun Square and was escorted by 300 attendants wearing traditional Hanbok clothes. It was a great moment and a historical moment because the torch relay included the reenacted of a Joseon-era ceremonial ritual.

The second moment that I liked was when the torch was carried by female divers of Jejudo Island on Nov. 3. It's just so impressive to watch the torch be carried toward the water by a traditional diver.

If you missed the moments that I mentioned above, don't worry. You still have a chance to catch the PyeongChang Olympic Games until Feb. 25. Don't forget, too, that the PyeongChang Paralympic Games start on March 9.

Let everyone shine with passion in Pyeongchang!

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.