By Sohn JiAe
Video = Kim Sunjoo

A dazzling opening ceremony kicked off a 17-day sports party at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games on Feb. 9.

Held at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium in Pyeongchang-gun County, Gangwon-do Province, the ceremony welcomed the world to PyeongChang, where 2,920 Olympians from a total of 92 countries, the largest in Winter Olympics history, will compete over the next 17 days.

The two-hour showcase of the host nation’s traditional and modern heritages -- the playing of traditional musical instruments and the performing of modern dance and mime, with media artworks as props -- was weaved into one core message: peace.

From the resonating ancient Bell of Peace to the countdown to start the ceremony, and a story of five children on a journey for the meaning of peace, to “candlelight of peace” being shared with each other, the story of peace was the prelude to the beginning of an Olympics of Peace that will unfold across Gangwon-do Province until Feb. 25.



Bringing the show of peace to its climax was the joint march of athletes from the two Koreas.

South Korean bobsleigh pilot Won Yun-jong and North Korean women’s hockey player Hwang Chung-gum were the flag bearers leading the march, a sight that sent to the world a powerful message, as President Thomas Bach of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) noted, too.

“In PyeongChang, the athletes from the teams of the South and North Koreas, by marching together, send a powerful message of peace to the world,” said the IOC president in his congratulatory speech.

“All the athletes around me, all the spectators here in the stadium and all Olympic fans watching around the world, we are all touched by this wonderful gesture. Let us share this Olympic experience with the world,” he said as he wrapped up his remarks in Korean. “Hamggye Gayo, PyeongChang! (함께 가요, 평창!, Let’s go together, PyeongChang!).”



As President Moon Jae-in stated, "I declare the 23rd Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang open," the ceremony continued and reached the highlight of the show. The so-called “queen of figure skating” Kim Yuna slid gracefully on the ice and ignited the Olympic flame atop a torch platform shaped like a traditional moon-shaped jar. The flame flared up into the sky of Pyeongchang and will light the host city for the next 17 days.

The 220-strong Team Korea with 145 athletes is the largest-ever in Korean history. It hopes to finish in fourth place in the final medal standings, and the team’s official goal is a total of 20 medals: eight gold, four silver and eight bronze medals. Stay tuned to see what unfolds.



jiae5853@korea.kr