By Korea.net PyeongChang Olympics Team
Video = Kim Sunjoo
Pyeongchang | Feb. 19, 2018

The inmyeonjo human-faced bird (인면조, 人面鳥) and the drones that highlighted the Opening Ceremony for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games are entertaining audiences once again at the PyeongChang Olympic Plaza.

People were amazed when the “strange” bird with a human face appeared again at the venue on Feb. 19. Many took out their mobile phones or cameras to take a shot of the giant avian creation.

The legendary creature found in an ancient tomb mural from Goguryeo (37 B.C. – A.D. 668) is known as a sacred being that connects the Heaven and Earth. It also symbolizes peace and prosperity, which is why it appeared in the Opening Ceremony.

“It’s great to see it walking around here at the Olympic Plaza. It’s about peace,” said Amy Valerio from the U.S. “It’s very inspiring that South Koreans and North Koreans are going to be together as a team, and that there is some hope for peace.”

“Some kids cry or run away when they see the strange human-faced being, but most people like the bird and take selfies with it,” said Kim Dong-won, who is in charge of the inmyeonjo parade that takes place in Pyeongchang three times a day at 2, 5 and 8 p.m.

The drone show, another highlight from the Opening Ceremony, is replayed at the PyeongChang Olympic Plaza every evening at 8 p.m.

A total of 300 drones appear in the night sky and fly to their pre-set position to form the Olympic rings or to depict athletes playing in the Winter Games, such as curling, ski jumping or luge. The drones cause the audience to clap and cheer when they form Soohorang, the Olympic mascot, waving its hand to the crowd.

Finally, the drones formed the Korean consonants for PyeongChang -- ㅍ and ㅊ -- glowing in the five colors of the Olympic rings, wowing the winter sports fans gathered below in the Olympic Plaza.

“It’s just awesome. I’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Nancy Hanneman, also from the U.S. She said that she wasn't here when the Opening Ceremony took place, and that she watched it on TV. “Getting a sense of them being above your head in the sky was just incredible,” she added.

“I could really feel the Olympic energy here,” said Kim So-yeon, one of the volunteers at the PyeongChang Winter Games. “I can really feel that Korea is indeed hosting the Winter Olympics.”



twkim0717@korea.kr