"Pyeongchang has undergone many changes in a short space of time," said Fleur Pellerin, ambassador at large for the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), during an MOU signing in Seoul, on March 13, with the PyeongChang Organizing Committee.

"Compared to last April, PyeongChang has undergone tremendous growth, and I think Korea will be able to host a successful Olympics," she said.

Pellerin was appointed as Grand Temoin de la Francophonie, an ambassador at large, of the OIF this past January. In her new role, she will be responsible for promoting the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in French-speaking countries around the world. During the games, she will oversee the use of French during the sporting events.

"I will support the interpretation and translation department during the games. We will need to take care of the official website, all the social media channels, as well as thousands of copies of booklets related to the various events. We are expecting to hire around 10 to 15 interpreters during the Olympics," said Pellerin on the specifics of her role.

The ambassador at large also discussed measures to increase cooperation between Korea and Francophone nations.

"We are hoping to use the Olympic platform to increase cultural exchanges between Korea and French-speaking countries by organizing a number of events. We have plans to invite professionals involved in Francophone animation and music, as well as e-sports, to pique the interest of younger visitors," she said.

By Xu Ai Ying, Lee Hana
Korea.net Staff Writers
Photo: Yonhap News
hlee10@korea.kr