Pyeongchang's Ceremony was designed to emphasize the connection between people and natureGETTY IMAGES
The Opening Ceremony of the Pyeongchang Games was highlighted by "fireworks, song and symbolism featured amid celebrations of light, peace, and harmony," according to Helene Elliott of the L.A. TIMES. The event included "nods to the country’s landmarks and ancient culture as well as its potential to lead the world in future technological innovations." Organizers "presented a journey through the country’s past and future ... through the eyes of five local children." The kids showcased the "mythical White Tiger, Blue Dragon, Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise." The show was "designed to emphasize the connection between people and nature and the need for peace in the world, and was replete with dancers and wonderfully crafted oversized animals" (LATIMES.com, 2/9). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Jonathan Cheng notes the ceremony was "filled with nods to traditional Korean Motifs, including the yin-yang symbol of cosmic harmony that appears on the South Korean flag." The traditional Korean folk song “Arirang,” a "mournful song of longing that is an unofficial national song on both halves of the Korean peninsula, played a prominent role in the proceedings" (WSJ.com, 2/9). The event was "festive" and included a "very vibrant display of Korean culture" ("Golic & Wingo," ESPN Radio, 2/9). The Taebaek Mountains were "cast aglow by pyrotechnics, high-tech imagery and finally a cauldron towering over the athletes" (OCREGISTER.com, 2/9).
EXCITEMENT OVERCOMES WEATHER: Around 35,000 spectators "witnessed a tightly-choreographed performance unfold at the Olympic Stadium in near-freezing conditions at what could be the coldest opening ceremony in 24 years" (NBCNEWS.com, 2/9). Amid "higher-than-expected" temperatures, attendees "started to fill in the stadium hours before the opening of the show" (YONHAP, 2/9). North and South Korea marching together as a unified team drew "some of the biggest applause of the night." The athletes "danced and celebrated as they closed the parade of nations ... under a white flag with the Korean peninsula on it in blue" (USATODAY.com, 2/9). The joint Korean delegation "received thunderous applause" (KOREATIMES.co.kr, 2/9). The North Korean cheerleaders "twirled their white unification flags in unison in the frigid Korean night, perhaps loudest when this unified Korea took its long-awaited lap" (SLTRIB.com, 2/9).
LIGHT MY FIRE: In DC, Boren & Bonesteel note South Korean figure skater Yuna Kim, who won a Gold Medal at the '10 Vancouver Games, "lit the Olympic torch on skates after taking the flame from two members of the joint Korean women’s hockey team (one each from South and North Korea)." Kim, a "massive celebrity in her home country," was the first South Korean to medal in figure skating (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/9). Pro golfer Inbee Park served as "one of the final torchbearers" (NYTIMES.com, 2/9).
VIP SECTION: In DC, Anna Fifield notes Vice President Pence and a delegation of senior North Korean officials on Friday attended a VIP reception before the Opening Ceremony, and then the ceremony itself. Pence spent about five minutes at the reception, but did "not have any direct encounters with North Korean envoys." The North Koreans at the Opening Ceremony "sat next to U.N. Secretary General António Guterres"(WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/9). The GLOBE & MAIL's Nathan Vanderklippe notes the presence of Pence an Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at the same place has "thrust organizers into a set of tricky dilemmas as they seek to avert a diplomatic incident on one of the world's largest stages." Reports suggested planners had been "plunged into a hair-pulling exercise" as they tried to ensure that neither Pence nor Kim "felt slighted" (GLOBEANDMAIL.com, 2/9).
PLAYING DRESS UP: In L.A., Angel Rodriguez notes there was a "weird scene in the middle of the parade of nations" at the Opening Ceremony. Two men dressed as President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "came down the steps leading to the area where the media was sitting and once at the first row, turned and started waving to the crowd." At first "no one reacted, but slowly media and spectators descended on the pair." It all "lasted about a minute before the volunteers in the area walked over to escort them back to their seats" (LATIMES.com, 2/9).
