True to the host nation’s pledge to make the events a “culture Olympics and Paralympics,” 600 culture-related programs have taken place or are slated to occur during the Paralympic Games in Gangwon Province, to end Sunday.

South Korea boasts a rich culture embedded within its more than 4,000 year history, which PyeongChang is eager to share with visitors from abroad.

The experience commences from the very doorsteps of Gangwon Province, in Jinbu Station where a traveler stepping off the KTX comes across various art and virtual reality exhibitions and other programs that operate from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Throughout the Winter Games, 42,000 people have accessed the programs.

Step deeper into the province, and you will find other events that invites you to experience the country’s deep culture.

Inside one of the exhibition halls at the PyeongChang Olympic Plaza in Daegwallyeong-myeon, Gangwon Province. (Yoon Min-sik/The Korea Herald)

Must-see venues

PyeongChang Olympic Stadium remains closed until the Paralympics closing ceremony this Sunday, but the Olympic Plaza that holds the venue has plenty of features to enjoy.

Traditional Korean Pavilion holds performances of traditional Korean gukak music, gurus and demonstrations on other time-honored art in Korea. Even on days without performances, visitors can observe paintings exhibited inside the traditional hanok.

Avid fans of Korea’s modern art will be excited to come across the works of Paik Nam-june, Lee Gyeong and Lyu Jae-ha at the Culture-ICT Pavilion. “Light PyeongChang,” is a three-part exhibition that holds works by these artists, including “Project Mapping” by Lyu and collaboration by Lee and Paik.

Paik’s most noted works like “Turtle” and “M-200” are also present at the venue.

ICT Pavilion is more than just art. The second floor of the building holds exhibitions of cutting-edge 5G technology and various virtual reality programs, including one that simulates a bobsledding experience.

Another eye-catching feature involves a pair of robot fish, which visitors can control in a game of virtual hockey. Sixteen robot fish can be found across the Olympic venues, along with 19 other robots, including 10 guide robots, two vacuuming robots and two waiter robots.

Hallyu content is available at the nearby Live Pavilion, which holds hologram concerts of top K-pop stars and other virtual reality programs.

The entrance fee for the Olympic Plaza is 2,000 won. The venue is located in Daegwallyeong-myeon, PyeongChang-gun, Gangwon Province.

One of the most popular events at the Gangneung Olympic Park is “The Great Journey of Bandabi,” held every day at 3 p.m. Sixty people take part in the parade led by the mascot of the Paralympic Games, Bandabi, partner to the Olympic Games’ Soohorang.

Busking, street dance and other performances take place at the park, and a line of customers typically forms outside PyeongChang Super Store that sells related merchandise.

The entrance fee for the park is also 2,000 won per person.

For more information on culture programs presented by the organizing committee of the Paralympics, visit www.pyeongchang2018.com/ko/culture/index.

The Traditional Culture Pavilion & Traditional Culture Plaza in the PyeongChang Olympic Plaza in Daegwallyeong-myeon, Gangwon Province. (Yoon Min-sik/The Korea Herald)

Events, eateries across province

Dagewallyeong Snow Festival ended with the Olympics in late February, but the nearby RE2018 exhibition hall is hosting the “All Together Art Exhibition” through Sunday. Twelve artists across the province are presenting their work, which can be viewed free of charge.

Those wishing to visit can do so from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the last entry at 5:30 p.m. To get there, take one of the shuttles operated by the Paralympic organizing committee and get off at the PyeongChang Olympic Plaza stop. It is a 1.1-kilometer walk from there.

Potato Flower Studio in PyeongChang-eup is also holding an exhibition of works by 20 artists from 16 countries.

PyeongChang Olympic Market, a traditional market in the region, is somewhere visitors can taste food made with buckwheat flour, which are specialty in Gangwon Province.

Buckwheat, or “memil” in Korean, is considered a must-eat dish in the region. The town of Bongpyeong is famous for dishes made with Buckwheat flour, a reputation boosted when celebrated writer Lee Hyo-suk — born in Bongpyeong — wrote the novel “When Buckwheat Flowers Bloom.”

On Saturday, “Bongpyeong-Jang” — meaning Bongpyeong marketplace — opens in Bongpyeong and features memil noodles, memil bread and much more to make the visit worthwhile.

An exhibition hall dedicated to Lee is also near the marketplace, and street performances mixing traditional and modern music also take place.

Soft tofu and potato dough soup are among the dishes one must try in a visit to Gangwon Province. The province is the largest producer of potatoes in Korea, so much that the nickname for people from the province is “Gamja-bau,” or “people from the town of potatoes.”

For more information on must-try delicacies in the region, see khnews.kheraldm.com/view.php?ud=20180205000219.

The culture-sharing experience does not end with the Paralympics.

As part of efforts to promote Korea’s traditional culture to the outside world, the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation on March 22 and March 29 will hold madang nori performances at the Pungryu folk theater at the Training Center for Important Intangible Cultural Properties in Seoul.

Madang nori, which literally means “play in the backyard,” are traditional Korean comedy plays with masked actors, music and dancing. It was a main pastime for common folk in ancient Korean kingdoms.

Each performance is held at 7:30 p.m., and lasts for 90 minutes. The shows are available to visitors aged 8 and up, and the entrance is 5,000 won. For information on tickets, visit https://booking.naver.com/booking/12/bizes/148839 or call (02) 3011-2178.

But beyond the performances, the best experience can be to mingle with locals and experience what they call “jeong.” The closest translation is “affection,” but the word also implies the tendency to be nice, friendly to others — regardless of their relation to you — and the sense of being welcomed and cared for even in the company of strangers.

For foreign visitors, the festivities of the Paralympics may be a chance to be plunge into the deeply rooted culture of jeong that the country has boasted for years.

By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)

Although Korea ended up losing to Japan in a 4-1 loss, the goal was celebrated by South Korean and American spectators as well as North Korea’s all-female cheerleading squad at the Kwandong Hockey Center.

Takeuchi Aina of Japan (left) in action against Randi Heesoo Griffin of Korea (right) during the Women’s Ice Hockey match between Korea and Japan at the Kwandong Hockey Center during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. (Yonhap)

Given the historic significance, the puck that was used for the tournament will be going to the Hockey Fall of Fame in Toronto, according to the competition’s organizing company Thursday.

Bringing the two Koreas’its landmark goal was Randi Heesoo Griffin, a US-born, half-Korean ice hockey player who played for the first ever joint North-South team at the Olympics.

Although the unified team is now out of the competition, Olympic watchers are keen to find out more about the player who saved Korea from returning home without any goals.

Who is Randi Heesoo Griffin?

Randi Heesoo Griffin was born and raised in North Carolina to an American father and South Korean mother who moved to the US in the 1980s.

Griffin, now 29, began playing hockey at 10 in Raleigh, North Carolina. She entered Harvard University in 2006 where she studied human evolutionary biology and played for the university’s women’s ice hockey team, the Crimson.

In the 125 games she played at Harvard from 2006-2010, she scored 21 goals with 18 assists for 39 points, according to The Harvard Gazette. During her senior year, Griffin was a finalist for the ECAC Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year Award.

After graduation, she went on to coach youth hockey in Raleigh in 2010 and began pursuing a Ph.D in evolutionary anthropology at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

In 2014, while pursuing her doctorate, Griffin received an email from the Korea Ice Hockey Association asking if she was interested in becoming a member of South Korea’s national women’s ice hockey team for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

The association had extended the invitation on the recommendation of Korean-Canadian hockey player Caroline Park, a Princeton University graduate who had previously played against Griffin.

Griffin was formally recruited into the team in 2015, and took a gap year to focus on training with the South Korean team ahead of the Winter Olympics. She was granted South Korean citizenship in 2017.

Following negotiations between the two Koreas, the International Olympics Committee approved the inclusion of North Korea in the PyeongChang Olympics.

It also announced the formation of a joint team in women’s ice hockey combining players from the North and South, generating controversy at a time of high political tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Historic goal and beyond

Despite bringing home the joint Korean women’s ice hockey team’s first and only goal at the Olympics, Griffin was modest about her achievement in her reflections after the game.

“As for me scoring that goal, it was kind of a lucky bounce that went in,” Griffin said during an interview with USA Today Sports. “Mostly I feel really proud that we gave (the Japanese) a run for their money.”

As for her recollections of the historic goal, Griffin remembers the thunderous cheering that had filled the Kwandong Hockey Center that evening.

“It was electric,” Griffin said during the interview. “That’s an awesome feeling. After the goal, the energy in the arena was something we were feeding off.”

Looking ahead, Griffin said she wants to help inspire and nurture more Korean ice hockey players in the future. According to media reports, Griffin, now a registered US hockey coach, is contemplating the option of coaching in Korea.

By Ji-young Sohn and Se-hwan Bak

(Korea Herald)

White, 31, won the medal at Phoenix Snow Park in the Olympics host town of PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, with the top score of 97.75 points.

Before PyeongChang, the US had 96 gold medals at the Winter Games.

Also Wednesday, South Korea’s figure skating pairs team of Kim Kyu-eun and Kam Kang-chan finished 22nd in the short program.

Gold medalist Shaun White of the USA during the medal ceremony for the men’s Snowboard Halfpipe event during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games, South Korea, 14 February 2018. (EPA)

China‘s Sui Wenjing and Han Cong took pole position with 82.39 points in the figure skating pairs short program held at Gangnueng Ice Arena. Russians Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov received 81.68 points to come in second, and Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford from Canada placed third with 76.82 points.

Kim and Kam earned a disappointing 42.93 points with a one point deduction, lagging far behind their personal best of 55.02 points and also falling short of the 52.10 points they scored in the team event last week.

Meanwhile, the North Korean duo of Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik performed a clean program to receive a personal best score of 69.4 points and place 11th. In the arena, a North Korean cheering squad enthusiastically rooted for the Ryom-Kim pair.

With the first triple twist throw giving them the highest 7.3 points, Ryom and Kim went through their planned program without error, including a triple loop and a throw triple loop.

“It has been convenient during our stay in the South,” Kim said. “As I skated here, we could really feel the power and the energy of the Korean people.”

Only the top 16 teams after the short program are eligible to skate in the free program slated for Thursday.

As of 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Germany led the overall competition with six gold medals, two silver and two bronze, followed by the Netherlands with five gold, four silver and two bronze and the US with four gold, one silver and two bronze.

Norway is in the fourth spot with three gold, five silver and three bronze, and Canada is in fifth with three gold, four silver and three bronze. South Korea is in 10th spot with one gold and one bronze.

There are a record 102 gold medals up for grabs at this year’s Winter Olympics from Feb. 9-25, with nearly 3,000 athletes from 92 countries participating.

In luge the women’s singles on Tuesday night, Germany’s Natalie Geisenberger won gold, followed by her fellow countrywoman Dajana Eitberger, who took silver, and Alex Gough of Canada with bronze.

Sweden’s Stina Nilsson, a Sochi bronze medalist in 2014, grabbed her first Olympic title in the women’s sprint classic cross-country race on Tuesday, completing the course in 3 minutes 3.84 seconds, 3.03 seconds ahead of Maiken Falla of Norway. Yulia Belorukova won bronze for the Olympic Athletes of Russia.

On Tuesday night, South Korea’s Kim Min-seok picked up bronze in the men’s 1,500-meter speedskating, becoming the first Asian to win an Olympic medal in the event.

Kim finished in 1 minute, 44.93 seconds at the Gangneung Oval, Gangwon Province, trailing Dutchmen Kjeld Nuis and Patrick Roest, who took gold and silver, respectively.

With his win, the 18-year-old skater became the first Asian to make the podium in the men’s 1,500 meters competition at the Winter Olympics, leaving hope for further success in the team pursuit and mass start events.

Kim topped the 1,500 distance race at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway, and grabbed gold at the 2016 Junior World Championships. He finished 16th in the World Cup rankings in the 2016-17 season and rose to 14th in the 2017-2018 season ahead of the Olympics.

In the women’s 500-meter short track speedskating Tuesday, Arianna Fontana of Italy won gold in 42.569 seconds in a highly strung contest. South Korea’s Choi Min-jeong initially came in second, but was disqualified for impeding another athlete. With Choi’s exit, the Netherlands’ Yara van Kerkhof earned silver and Canada’s Kim Boutin was promoted to bronze.

Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris of Canada claimed the Winter Games’ inaugural mixed doubles curling title Tuesday after beating Switzerland’s Jenny Perret and Martin Rios. The Canadian pair triumphed over the Swiss competition 10-3 in front of a zealous crowd of Canadians.

“It sounds surreal and I don’t know if that’s ever going to sink in,” said Lawes, a 29-year-old from Winnipeg, Manitoba, at the Gangneung Curling Centre in Gangneung, one of two cities hosting PyeongChang events. “The first one hasn’t sunk in yet to be honest. To be able to bring home another gold medal, with John, is an absolute honor.”

The Canadians’ victory over the defending world champions was a historic moment for mixed doubles, which made its Olympic debut at PyeongChang. The mixed doubles has proven to be highly popular with players and fans the world over.

“I think that if someone’s going to try curling for the first time, this mixed doubles is where it’s at,” Morris said. “It’s quick, it’s fast-paced, it’s very athletic and it’s so much fun to play. And you don’t need four players. I’m really proud of us for coming here and helping put mixed doubles on the map.”

Earlier, the husband-and-wife team from Russia, Anastasia Bryzgalova and Aleksandr Krushelnitckii, beat Norway’s Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten 8-4 to take bronze.

Russia has been suspended from PyeongChang due to its state-sponsored doping at the 2014 Sochi Games.

Meanwhile, Japan’s short-track speedskater Kei Saito, 21, became embroiled in PyeongChang’s first doping scandal after testing positive for a banned diuretic. Saito has left the athletes’ village and been provisionally suspended during an ongoing investigation.

“I want to fight to prove my innocence because I don’t remember (taking the drug) and it’s incomprehensible,” he said in a statement.

By Joel Lee

(Korea Herald)

(Yonhap)

Choi appeared to win the silver medal behind Arianna Fontana of Italy, in a photo finish, at Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung. Choi clapped and waved to the delighted crowd in celebration of what she believed would be her first Olympic medal, and the South Korean television feed also flashed the sign “Silver Medal.”

But moments later, Choi was disqualified for apparently making contact with Fontana late in the 4 1/2-lap race. Kim Boutin of Canada moved to bronze, while Yara van Kerkhof of the Netherlands got the silver.

This is the first Winter Olympics for the 19-year-old, and the 500m was her first final here.

Choi was trying to accomplish something no one has done in the Olympic history — win all short track gold medals in the 500m, 1,000m, 1,500m and relay (3,000m for women and 5,000m for men).

And there’s no doubting her talent. The two-time world overall champion entered the PyeongChang Olympics ranked world No. 1 in all individual races, and she has also been instrumental in getting South Korea to the top spot in the 3,000m relay.

Some pre-Olympic predictions had Choi winning as many as three gold medals. Choi has been asked several times whether she felt she could pull off the sweep, and the teenager hasn’t exactly deflected those questions. If anything, Choi has exuded quiet confidence and has said she will try her best if there’s a possibility that she could win all four.

The closest anyone has come to a short track gold medal sweep was at the 2006 Torino Games, where Ahn Hyun-soo, then competing for South Korea, won three gold and one bronze in the men’s races.

As Victor An of Russia at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, he also won three gold and one bronze medal.

Also back in 2006, South Korean Jin Sun-yu won three women’s short track gold medals. She remains the only female short tracker to win at least three gold medals at a single Olympics.

But there was one thing Jin or any of other decorated South Korean short trackers had never accomplished before: win an Olympic gold in the women’s 500m.

It’s been one of the most puzzling droughts in South Korean sports. Given how dominant the country has been in short track — it leads all nations with 22 gold medals and 44 medals overall — it’s a surprise that there actually is a short track race in which South Korea hasn’t won an Olympic gold.

South Korea has produced two bronze medalists in the women’s 500m — Chun Lee-kyung in 1998 and Park Seung-hi in 2014.

Fighting back tears after the race, Choi said she will forget about Tuesday’s race and move forward.

“I’m confident that I can get over it. I still have three competitions left,” she said. “The 500m wasn’t my main event anyway. I’ll prepare well for the remaining races.”

Choi still has a shot at joining Jin in the triple gold club among female skaters. The 1,500m heats, semifinals and finals are all set for Saturday. South Korea is already in the 3,000m relay final, which will take place next Tuesday. The 1,000m heats, semifinals and finals are on Feb. 22.

Hyun-ju Ock

(Korea Herald)

Individuals, who carry tickets to the Olympics and Paralympics, will be able to take advantage of the special temple stay program, receiving an 80 percent discount for a one-night stay including one additional person. Visitors can also experience the program for a day at a reduced cost.

The majority of Korean temples are located in the mountainous regions across the nation, surrounded by serene nature. Temple stay programs offer a wonderful channel of escape from the urban chaos and busy lifestyle, while enlightening the soul and body.

(Photo courtesy of Templestay)

Newcomers to the program do not have to be familiar with Zen, meditation or Buddhism as a religion. Packed with various events, the five selected temple programs are furnished to provide guests with a glimpse into life at a Buddhist temple.

Each temple has its own set of planned events that vary from rigorous spiritual practices to relaxed programs geared toward cooking temple food or meditating.

Standing on the slopes of Korea’s famous Mountain Obong, Naksansa is well-known for its “follow your dreams” activity, sunrise observation and search party for the golden three-legged money toad, which is known to bring good fortune.

(Photo courtesy of Templestay)

Visitors to Baekdamsa can participate in the act of prostrating or bowing 108 times, meditation sessions awakening one’s five senses and meditation sessions in the forest. Monks will also teach guests how to build a “hope tower” out of stones.

Lying on the coast of the East Sea, Samhwasa temple stay offers a beautiful sunrise view, bell-ringing ceremony, spiritual walking exercise along Mureng valley and paper arts and crafts.

Considered the oldest Zen Buddhist Temple in the world, Sinheungsa is located on the slopes of Mountain Seorak in Sokcho, Gangwon Province. Participants can enjoy making Korean paper crafts and embellishing the main halls and pillars with “tanchong,” or a particular way of print. Tea ceremonies with monks are also available.

(Photo courtesy of Templestay)

Located in the forested valley east of Odaesan in PyeongChang County, Woljeongsa is the perfect place for visitors to go for a nature walk in the moonlight. Guests at the temple can choose from various arts and crafts, such as making paper lotus-flowers and malas of 108 beads.

Also, monks will teach participants the wisdom of “non-possession” through “balwoogongyang,” or process of eating a monastic meal. Food is prepared equally in a clean environment. It is custom not to leave any food waste.

In high-hopes for a successful Winter Olympics and Paralympics, all five temples will offer participants to make use of the “slow post office.” Individuals can receive the letter in one year with no restrictions on one’s destination.

(Photo courtesy of Templestay)

Visitors with tickets to the Winter Games can also indulge in monastic meals at 2017, 2018 Michelin-starred restaurant “Balwoogongyang” at a 10 percent discount rate throughout the duration of the Olympics.

Reservations are required to participate via the official temple stay website (eng.templestay.com). The site also carries an abundance of information on the different temple stay programs.

The temple stay program for foreigners began last Friday and will run until March 18.

By Catherine Chung

(Korea Herald)

Kim finished with a time of 1 minute, 44.93 seconds in the race at the Gangneung Oval, following Dutchmen Kjeld Nuis and Patrick Roest, who took the gold and silver medals, respectively.

The South Korean became the first Asian speed skater to rise to the podium in the men’s 1,500m competition in the Winter Olympics.

Arianna Fontana of Italy snatched the gold medal in the women’s 500 meter race on Tuesday with a 42.569 seconds, where South Korea’s Choi Min-jeong was disqualified for making a last split-second body contact before finishing second in the tight race. As a result of Choi’s exit, the Netherlands’ Yara van Kerkhof won silver and Canada’s Kim Boutin won bronze.

South Korean speed skater Kim Min-seok (Yonhap)

South Korean short track skater Choi Min-jeong (center) in the women’s 500 meter final on Tuesday (Yonhap)

Marcel Hirscher of Austria topped the men’s alpine combined slalom at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea on Tuesday.

At Jeongseon Alpine Centre in Gangwon Province, Hirscher, 28, finally realized his dream of winning a long-overdue gold medal. It was the Austrian’s third showing at the Olympics, where he earned a Sochi silver in 2014 and never finished below fifth in any race.

The Austrian also clinched an unprecedented six consecutive World Cup overall titles alongside 55 victories on the circuit.

“I’m super happy because now this stupid question has gone away, if I’m thinking that my career is perfect without a gold medal,” Hirscher said. “Now the question is … deleted.”

Hirscher’s combined two-run time at 2 minutes 6.52 seconds was 0.23 second faster than silver medalist Alexis Pinturault of France. Fellow Austrian Victor Muffat-Jeandet took bronze at 2:07.54.

Austria’s gold medallist Marcel Hirscher poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men’s alpine skiing combined at the Pyeongchang Medals Plaza during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang on February 13, 2018. (AFP/Yonhap)

Earlier in the day, Chloe Kim of the United States soared high on the halfpipe to be crowned the queen of snowboarding, gratifying long-held expectations that she would end up as the top finisher at the 2018 Games.

The 17-year-old from Torrance, California, took firm control of her course on the frosty ramp in the women’s final at Phoenix Snow Park in PyeongChang, and finished with a score of 93.75 on the first of her three finals runs. She then upped her score with a near-perfect 98.75 on her last run, having already secured the gold in hand.

Kim is Korean-American, as her parents emigrated from the host country for the PyeongChang Games in Gangwon Province.

“I don’t really know what’s happening and I’m actually feeling a little anxious right now,” Kim said. “I’m a little overwhelmed. But this is the best outcome I could ever ask for and it’s been such a long journey. Ahhh, just going home with the gold is amazing.”

With members of her family, including her 85-year-old South Korean grandmother, painstakingly zooming in on her every twist and turn from the stands, Kim delivered a prodigious performance that outshone her pre-Olympic limelight. In the opening set, she threw in a 1080 — three soaring twists above the pipe, considered among the most difficult in the sport — and followed it with a pair of flips.

With the gold, Kim became the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding medal.

Chloe Kim of the United States celebrates after winning gold in the Ladies’ Halfpipe finals at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on February 13, 2018. Kim took gold in the event with a score of 98.25. (UPI)

Liu Jiayu of China took silver with an 89.75, becoming the first Chinese athlete to grab a snowboarding medal at the Olympics. American Arielle Gold took bronze with an 85.75.

With Kim’s triumph, Team USA has now swept all three of the snowboard gold medals at the Winter Games. Red Gerard and Jamie Anderson won men’s and women’s slopestyle events, respectively, over the previous two days.

Meanwhile, many female snowboarders expressed anger over the organizing committee’s decision to press ahead with the slopestyle final as scheduled Monday, despite vicious winds that led many athletes to tumble. The International Olympic Committee and International Ski Federation upheld the decision, adding the safety of athletes was their top priority.

Chloe Kim of the United States celebrates after winning gold in the Ladies’ Halfpipe finals at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on February 13, 2018. Kim took gold in the event with a score of 98.25. (AFP)

In speedskating on Monday, the Netherlands’ Ireen Wust passed her countrywoman and track and field legend Fanny Blankers-Koen’s record of four Olympic gold medals, winning a fifth.

The 31-year-old left her mark on history with a winning time of 1 minute, 54.35 seconds in the 1,500-meter race. Japan’s Miho Takagi came in second at 1: 54.55, and another Dutch compatriot Marrit Leenstra finished third at 1:55.26.

Not only did Wust become the Netherland’s first Olympian to grab five gold, the event landed her a staggering 10 Olympic medals in total, moving her past equestrian great Anky van Grunsven for the most medals clinched by a Dutch competitor at either the Winter or Summer Games.

There are a record 102 gold medals up for grabs at this year’s Winter Olympics from Feb. 9-25, with nearly 3,000 athletes from 92 countries participating. As of Tuesday at 9:30 p.m., the Netherlands led the overall competition with four gold medals, four silver and two bronze, followed by Germany four gold, one silver and two bronze and Canada with three gold, four silver and two bronze. South Korea is in the ninth spot with one gold and one bronze.

In the curling mixed doubles bronze match held in Gangneung on Tuesday morning, the Olympic Athletes from Russia beat Norway 8-4.

Monday night, Canadian world No. 1 Mikael Kingsbury nailed his final run to become the Olympics moguls champion in fitting style. Kingsbury, 25, scored 86.63 to clinch gold, a welcome addition to his Sochi silver in 2014. Australia’s Matt Graham and Japan’s Daichi Hara earned silver and bronze, respectively.

In biathlon men’s pursuit Monday, France’s Martin Fourcade cruised through the 12.5-kilometer course that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting to finish first. Fourcade became one of France’s most decorated Winter Olympian with five medals, and just the third Frenchman to secure three Olympic golds.

Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier overcame ice-cold weather and her competitors to claim her second gold medal in the biathlon pursuit Monday, two days after finishing the sprint first.

Maren Lundby of Norway on Monday jumped a near-perfect final leap to snatch the ski jump gold medal ahead of Katharina Althaus of Germany and Sara Takanashi of Japan.

South Korea’s performance has been rather lackluster through Tuesday, with the exceptions of Lim Hyo-jun’s gold in the men’s 1,500 meters short track speedskating event Saturday and Kim Min-seok’s bronze.

In freestyle skiing Monday, men’s mogul skier Choi Jae-woo lost control and fell on his second jump at Phoenix Snow Park in PyeongChang, failing to reach the third final stage. The joint women’s hockey team of South Korean and North Korean players suffered its second 8-0 drubbing, this time to Sweden, Monday, ending any glimmer of hope for winning a medal. Korea will face Japan in the final Group B game Wednesday.

South Korean speed skater Lee Sang-hwa, a two-time Olympic champion, announced Tuesday she would skip the women’s 1,000-meter race scheduled for a day later to focus on Sunday’s 500-meter competition instead.

A combination of frigid weather, gusty winds and other unpredictable elements have plagued PyeongChang.

The showpiece alpine skiing men’s downhill event has been postponed to 11 a.m. Thursday at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province. The super-G event was also pushed back to 11 a.m. Friday, as was the women’s giant slalom event, which was originally scheduled for Monday morning and delayed to Thursday.

By Joel Lee

(Korea Herald)

The US and South Korea have agreed on terms for further engagement with North Korea, first by Seoul and then possibly leading to talks with Washington, Pence said in an interview with the Washington Post aboard Air Force Two on his way home from the Olympics in South Korea on Sunday.

“The point is, no pressure comes off until they are actually doing something that the alliance believes represents a meaningful step toward denuclearization,” the Post quoted Pence as saying. “So the maximum pressure campaign is going to continue and intensify. But if you want to talk, we’ll talk.”

US Vice President Mike Pence (center) between Kim Yong-nam, North Korea’s ceremonial head of state, and Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister. (Yonhap)

Seoul declined to comment on the report, with a Cheong Wa Dae press official saying that related matters must be handled “prudently.”

Pence’s remarks come after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister Kim Yo-jong invited South Korean President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang during their meeting at the Blue House on Saturday.

Moon neither accepted nor rejected the invitation, saying the Koreas should create an environment for such a summit to take place, apparently mindful of the US. He also encouraged the North to be more proactive in seeking dialogue with the US, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

The invitation left Moon with the pressing task of convincing North Korea to engage in dialogue over its nuclear and missile programs without alienating its biggest ally, the US.

Concerns surfaced over the possible discord between South Korea and the US in its approach to dealing with North Korea as Pence, who was in South Korea for the opening of the PyeongChang Olympics, increased US pressure on Pyongyang by highlighting the brutality of the regime during his time here.

Pence was seen ignoring or avoiding high-profile North Korean delegates, including Kim Yo-jung, when he was in close proximity to them during the reception hosted by President Moon and during the opening ceremony of the Winter Games.

But Pence’s comments aboard Air Force Two may signal Trump administration’s policy shift to engagement with Pyongyang and an easing of conditions for talks with it. Previously, the US had ruled out any possibility of talks with the North unless it agreed to discuss giving up its nuclear weapons.

During Pence’s visit, Moon assured Pence he would tell the North Koreans clearly that they would not get economic or diplomatic concessions for just talking, only for taking concrete steps toward denuclearization, according to the Post. Based on this assurance, Pence was cited as saying, he felt confident he could endorse post-Olympic engagement with Pyongyang.

But Pence said that the pressure campaign would continue at the same time. Washington has sought to isolate Pyongyang through sanctions and diplomacy to convince it to sit down for talks on its denuclearization.

Earlier in Japan, Pence said that Washington will soon unveil its “toughest and most aggressive sanctions” ever against North Korea after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Wednesday.

China and Japan showed mixed reactions to Pyongyang’s overture.

China, North Korea’s largest trading partner, welcomed North Korea’s move.

“The two Koreans strive to break the nuclear deadlock through the Olympics,” China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported, adding the opening of dialogue on the Korean Peninsula was up to the two Koreas’ will and neighboring countries’ support.

A high-ranking Chinese official met with Kim Yong-nam, North Korea’s ceremonial head of state, when they were in South Korea to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics on Friday, according to China’s Foreign Ministry.

They had “exchanges,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a press briefing without elaborating what they discussed during the meeting.

In Washington, China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi said that China hopes the thaw in inter-Korean ties over the Olympics can be translated over into regular talks between North Korea and the US during his meeting with the US President Donald Trump on Friday, according to China’s Foreign Ministry.

Japan, on the other hand, expressed skepticism over the communist regime’s peace overture, warning against its “smile diplomacy.”

“Japan and South Korea joined the path for dialogue with North Korea, but it continued to develop its nuclear and missile programs. Talks for the sake of talks are meaningless,” Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters on Saturday.

Japanese Prime Minister’s Shinzo Abe told Moon during their meeting at Cheong Wa Dae that he favors the swift resumption of joint US-South Korean military exercises, which had been delayed until after the Olympics to ensure calm and security during the Olympics.

In response, Moon said that it was an internal affair and that it was inappropriate for Abe to bring it up, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

Tokyo has accused the North of using the Olympics to loosen the international sanctions regime, “buying time” to perfect its nuclear and missile technology and water down the Korea-US alliance.

Hyun-ju Ock

(Korea Herald)

The 140-member Samjiyon Orchestra, led by Hyon Song-wol, head of the all-female Moranbong Band, held a special concert at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul to celebrate the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.

(Yonhap)

According to local media reports, Seohyun, dressed in a white dress and matching heels, made a surprise appearance at the grand finale of the concert. She performed “Let’s Meet Again” and “Our Wish Is Unification,” reflecting the two Korea’s yearning for reunification, with a female octet from the North Korean art troupe. The performers hugged each other as the audience gave them a standing ovation, according to reports.

Seohyun, right, performs with the North Korea’s Samjiyon Orchestra during the band’s concert at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul on Sunday. (Yonhap)

It has been reported that Seohyun was invited to the concert with short notice, on the day of the event.

“Seohyun joined the performance without any preparation after receiving a call on the day of the concert. There was no time for a rehearsal,” an agency official told local media.

By Dam-young Hong

(Korea Herald)

Until Feb. 25, PyeongChang, Gangneung and Jeongseon in Gangwon Province will host the leading athletes in winter sports.

Under the theme of “Peace in Motion,” the opening ceremony held at the Olympic Plaza in Daegwallyeong-myeon was a fanfare for the festivities to take place over the next two weeks.

Thousands of fans flocked to the tiny town of Daegwallyeong hours before the ceremony, and then entered the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium around 4 p.m. A total of 3,000 people were part of the six-part performances at the ceremony directed by Song Seung-hwan.

Athletes from South Korea and North Korea bearing the Unified Korea enter the PyeongChang Olympic Plaza during the 2018 Winter Olympic Games’ Opening Ceremony on Friday. It’s the first time in 12 years that the two Koreas are marching as one at an Olympics event. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)

Before the ceremony, the audience was treated to a taekwondo demonstration by a North Korean team. Passionate supporters from the North chanted “We are together!” and “Cheer up!” without stopping as the taekwondo masters showed off their skills.

Despite the enthusiastic crowd, there were a considerable number of empty seats. One section seemed almost empty even as the ceremony went on.

A countdown at 8 p.m. heralded the beginning of the ceremony, followed by a performance titled “The Land of Peace.” The performance was about five children from Gangwon Province traveling in time in a quest for peace. The white tiger — the same species as the mascot of the games Soohorang — had the role of guiding the children.

President Moon Jae-in and IOC chief Thomas Bach were introduced to the public, followed by the second part of the performance, “Taegeuk: Harmony of the Cosmos.” This depicted the harmony of yin and yang symbolized by the Taegeuk shape on Korea’s national flag, the Taegeukgi.

South Korea’s national flag was then carried into the arena by the country’s sports legends such as World Golf Hall of Famer Pak Se-ri, Korean baseball’s leading home-run hitter Lee Seung-yup and 1992 gold medalist in marathon Hwang Young-cho.

The Taegeukgi was hoisted to the national anthem sung by the Rainbow Children’s Choir.

Afterward, the participating athletes paraded into the arena to hit songs by South Korean artists, such as Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” The national team of Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics, led the way.

But the highlight of the event was when South and North Korean teams marched in together to the song “Arirang.” South Korean bobsleigh pilot Won Yun-jong, and North Korean women’s hockey player Hwang Chung-gum carried the Korean Unification Flag, a symbol of a unified Korea.

President Moon Jae-in, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and members of the North Korean delegation were among those who gave a standing ovation to the Korean team.

Then it was time for a performance depicting the two pillars of Korea today: tradition and cutting-edge technology. “Arirang: The River of Time” featured the Jeongseon Arirang’s sad and joyous tunes played to the five children sailing on a raft, rocking to and fro to symbolize the tumultuous history of Korea.

In the “All for the Future” section, the five children have grown up to become leaders of the ICT world of the future. The gate opens to show a world where all things, people, time and space are interconnected with communication with everything.

After the time travel, the five children stood before the people of the world with a candle for peace. They then released doves into the skies above PyeongChang to symbolize the dominating message of the Olympics: peace.

Lee Hee-beom, president of the PyeongChang organizing committee, stressed that the Winter Games would be above all the Olympics of peace.

“We’ve just watched athletes of the two Koreas walk in together holding the Korean Unification Flag. … The PyeongChang Olympics will be a beacon of hope for those around the world yearning for peace,” he said.

IOC President Bach said the joint march by the two Koreas represents an example of the unifying power of the Olympics.

“Dear athletes, now it’s your turn. This will be the competition of your life. You will inspire us all to live together in peace and harmony despite all the differences we have. You will inspire us by competing for the highest honor in the Olympic spirit of excellence, respect and fair play,” he said.

President Moon then officially declared the opening of the PyeongChang Winter Games.

South Korea’s figure skating hero Kim Yuna wrapped up the ceremony by lighting the Olympic cauldron.

From the very beginning, South Korean authorities have sought to make peace the theme of games, epitomized by its effort to invite North Korea to the Olympics.

Prominent figures from in and out of country attended the ceremony — including US Vice President Mike Pence, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin — but one participant who caught the attention of everyone was Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. She is leading the North Korean delegation with Ri Sun-kwon, head of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country of the DPRK (North Korea’s official name).

The North’s last-minute decision to take part was one of the biggest and most controversial matters for the PyeongChang Olympics. While some applauded the effort to ease inter-Korea tensions, others raised concerns that Pyongyang may get a chance to promote its dictatorial regime at Seoul’s expense.

The opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Olympics in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province. (Yonhap)

Another figure that stood out at the scene was Fred Warmbier, the father of Otto Warmbier. The junior Warmbier was an American student who was jailed in North Korea and died last year upon his return to the US. Warmbier accompanied Pence earlier in the day during his visit to meet North Korean defectors, where the US vice president stressed the importance of shedding light on North Korea’s repressive regime.

Peace Olympics

As apparent from the theme of the opening ceremony, Seoul has expressed hopes that the PyeongChang Games will be one of peace. Prior to the events, security issues crept up, as the venues are a mere 80 kilometers away from the inter-Korean border.

As the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice, the two Koreas technically remain at war. However, the North’s decision to participate in the games has had a considerable effect on relieving security concerns.

Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee chief who previously said that there never has been “Plan B” even under nuclear tensions, said earlier this week that the PyeongChang Winter Games have brought “real hope.”

”The 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang have allowed another new beginning on the Korean Peninsula. … They have opened the door for a peaceful dialogue between the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” he said at the opening ceremony for this week’s International Olympic Committee session.

But the Moon Jae-in government’s attempt to bring in the North amid the festivities has also sparked criticism locally, particularly its decision to create a joint team of the two Koreas in women’s ice hockey. Adding fuel to the fire was the fact that it was decided less than a month before the Games began.

While the decision was controversial, it marks the first time in history that the two Koreas are teaming up to create a unified team at the Olympics, an attempt which has been on-going since the 1960s.

In 1988, when Korea hosted its first Summer Olympics in Seoul, the two Koreas met four times in three years leading up to the games, but failed to reach an agreement.

A picture taken on February 9, 2018 shows a mounted Korean police officer posing outside the Pyeongchang Stadium ahead of the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. (AFP-Yonhap)

Three time’s a charm

Having hosted the Summer Games, World Championships and the World Cup, South Korea has long been looking to complete what it calls “the sports grand slam” by also hosting the Winter Games to host all four major sports events.

After coming up short in 2003 and 2007, the host city of PyeongChang finally came to bring the Winter Games to Gangwon in the 2011 vote. Since the country first participated in the Winter Games in 1948 — exactly 70 years ago — Seoul has grown considerably in its prowess, with superstars like Kim Yu-na becoming one of the most dominant figure skaters of all time.

As a testament to how far it has come, South Korea reaped six gold, six silver and two bronze medals in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, the best track record so far. The country seeks to surpass that with eight gold, four silver and eight bronze, which is expected to sit South Koreans at No. 4 overall.

Biggest one yet

A total of 102 gold medals are to be awarded at the games, four more than the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, and the largest number to date.

The PyeongChang Games are also the largest in terms of participating athletes and countries at 2,925 and 92, respectively.

The US sent the largest group of athletes, with 242 players.

South Korea is sending 144 athletes to PyeongChang, which by far outnumbers the previous athletes’ delegations in Vancouver — 46 — or Sochi — 71.

Six countries — Ecuador, Malaysia, Singapore, Eritrea, Kosovo and Nigeria — are to participate in the Winter Games for the first time at PyeongChang,

Some young athletes from these countries are participating via the PyeongChang-backed “Dream Program,” an initiative to invite young athletes from tropical countries, areas that face regional conflicts and other places that are challenging for winter sports.

In addition to the games, PyeongChang seeks to be a “Culture Olympics” as well,” with a total of 1,900 culture-related programs taking place during the games in Gangwon Province.

By Min-sik Yoon 

(Korea Herald)

South Korean President Moon Jae-in (left, front row), first lady Kim Jung-sook, North Korean ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam (second from right, back row) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un`s sister Kim Yo-jong (right, back row) attend the opening ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, Friday. (Yonhap)

The three countries — the key players in issues surrounding the North Korean nuclear issue –are represented by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, US Vice President Mike Pence and China’s Politburo Standing Committee member Han Zheng. Russia, the other party in the six-party talks on denuclearization, is absent from the games due to doping allegations.

North Korea was represented by its nominal head of state Kim Yong-nam, who heads Pyongyang’s high-level delegation.

The North Korean delegation, which arrived here Friday, also includes Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

“Even as we are here together, many countries around the world have thorny issues to sort out between them. Korea is no exception. Had it not been for the PyeongChang Olympics, some of us might not have had (the) chance to be together in the same room,” Moon said.

Moon went on to cite the example of the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships, where the two Koreas fielded a joint team. He said that the joint women’s ice hockey team at the Winter Games is a seed of hope.

Citing a poem that says “a snowman starts with a snowball,” Moon said that the ice hockey players “are now holding a small snowball in their hands.”

“Together, we should start rolling the small snowball carefully with our hands. Now, if we put our hearts and minds together, it will continue to grow larger and larger and turn into a snowman of peace.”

While the South Korean leader talked of peace on the Korean Peninsula, Pence’s actions at the reception indicated that US-North Korea dialogue — considered an essential step in the denuclearization of the North — is unlikely.

Despite much speculation over the possibility of Pence meeting with the North Korean delegation, no such meeting came about.

US Vice President Mike Pence, second from bottom right, sits between second lady Karen Pence, third from from bottom left, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. Seated behind Pence are Kim Yong-nam, third from top right, president of the Presidium of North Korean Parliament, and Kim Yo-jong, second from top right, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. (Yonhap-AP)

Pence, along with Abe, arrived at the reception late, avoiding Moon’s meet-and-greet session where the North’s chief delegate was present. The US vice president did not attend the main event of the reception, where he would have been given a seat at the head table along with Kim Yong-nam and Abe.

Pence left shortly after greeting Moon, while Abe stayed.

Cheong Wa Dae said later that Pence had informed Seoul in advance that he would not attend the entire event in order to meet with US athletes.

According to pool reports, Pence did however take the time to greet and shake hands with other leaders present, but did not acknowledge Kim Yong-nam

As for the North Korean delegation, the 23-member group arrived in the South by private jet at 1:46 p.m. at the Incheon Airport.

From there, the delegation moved directly to PyeongChang in Gangwon Province to attend the reception and Olympic opening ceremony. The delegation, or a combination of its members, will also meet with Moon on Saturday.

While the delegation is led by Kim Yong-nam, experts are focusing on Kim Yo-jong. With her direct link to Kim Jong-un, she is expected to play a key role in future inter-Korean relations.

Jeong Se-hyun, who served as the South’s minister of unification for the liberal Roh Moo-hyun administration, said in an interview with a local radio station that Kim Jong-un has sent his sister to express willingness to revive inter-Korean talks, which could pave the way for Washington-Pyongyang dialogue.

But others are skeptical that Kim Yo-jong’s presence in South Korea will lead to any noteworthy breakthrough in the current situation surrounding North Korea, with Pyongyang’s unwillingness to give up its nuclear development program.

“President Moon has tied the issue of bringing denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula to an improvement in inter-Korean ties, but North Korea is not interested in denuclearization at the moment,” said research fellow Woo Jung-yeop of the Sejong Institute.

Some experts are voicing concerns that North Korea may be using the Olympic overture to gain more leeway on international sanctions.

Recently, North Korea has often made moves that call for sanctions exemptions, and “sending Choe Hwi to South Korea is part of North Korea’s tactics to widen the scope of its sanctions violations,” a source from a state-run research institute told The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity.

Choe is subject to UN sanctions, including a travel ban, which was lifted for the duration of the visit to the South.

By He-suk Choi and Min-kyung Jung

(Korea Herald)