By Kim Hyelin

The 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon-do Province (Gangwon 2024) to start next month will offer interactive cultural events away from the competition venues.

The tournament's organizing committee on Dec. 21 said its Play Winter Zone during Gangwon 2024's period of Jan. 19 to Feb. 1 will host interactive activities in sports, culture, events, performing arts, exhibitions and education in the province's city of Gangneung and counties of Pyeongchang-gun, Jeongseon-gun and Hoengseong-gun, all host sites of the competition. 

National short track speed skater Choi Minjeong and former national figure skater Park So Youn will hold "ice one-point lessons" at the outdoor ice rink of Gangneung Hockey Centre. In the evening, "DJ Skate Night" will be held at the same facility featuring domestic DJs.

Gangwon 2024 promotional ambassadors and Olympic heroes Kim Yuna and Yun Sungbin and Ryu Seung-min, a member of the International Olympic Committee, will hold the Q&A event "Olympian Talk Concert" for youth at PyeongChang Olympic Museum in Pyeongchang-gun.

Interactive programs will also allow youth to "snow tube," or ride tubes down ski jumps, and take on mini ski jumps at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre in Pyeongchang-gun.

A 4 m-tall large photo zone featuring Gangwon 2024 mascot Moongcho will be set up at Jeongseon High1 Resort in Jeongseon-gun, while a "speed challenge," or a ski race down a 30 m-long slope, is slated at Welli Hilli Park in Hoengseong-gun. 

Performances by the National Chorus of Korea and Korean National Ballet will be held at Gangneung Arts Center as well as a K-pop concert at the Pyeongchang Dome. Interactive programs will allow visitors to try winter sports and snacks and traditional games.

kimhyelin211@korea.kr