By Israa Mohamed
Video = Gangwon 2024's official YouTube channel

Ticket reservations for next year's Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon-do Province (Gangwon 2024) began on Nov. 11 at 11:11 a.m. 

The competition's organizing committee on Nov. 10 said tickets for the event will be sold on its official website (https://tickets.gangwon2024.org/en/).

Except for the opening ceremony in Gangneung, tickets will be free for all events in the city for ice sports and the counties of Pyeongchang for Nordic and sliding, Jeongseon-gun alpine skiing and dual moguls, and Hoengseong-gun remaining freestyle skiing and snowboarding. For ice sports, spectators need free tickets online or on-site and for Nordic and sliding, admission is free through on-site registration or online reservation.

The opening ceremony on Jan. 19 from 8 p.m. will run for around 80 minutes simultaneously at the speedskating venue Gangneung Oval and PyeongChang (Yongpyong) Dome in Pyeongchang-gun. 

Tickets for the opening ceremony are priced at KRW 30,000, 80,000 and 100,000 depending on class. For the free opening ceremony in Pyeongchang-gun, attendees must have tickets through online reservations or get them on-site to enter. 

The four host cities of Gangwon 2024 will also offer interactive programs such as winter sports experiences, talk concerts with promotional ambassadors, cutting-edge photo booths, exhibitions, performances, parties and workshops. 

"We are preparing for this competition that we consider a tremendous opportunity for our athletes to grow on a larger stage," committee co-president Lee Sang-hwa said. "During winter vacation, we will make this an enjoyable festival where youth can watch the games free and take part in various experiences."

As the first Youth Winter Olympics held in Asia, Gangwon 2024 will run from Jan. 19 to Feb. 1 in and around Gangneung, Pyeongchang-gun, Jeongseon-gun and Hoengseong-gun. An estimated 1,900 young athletes ages 15-18 from about 70 countries will compete in 15 events.

ess8@korea.kr