North Korea Plans Pre-Olympics Performance in Gangneung

(ATR) A cultural performance by North Koreans will precede the PyeongChang 2018 Opening Ceremony in South Korea.

Following a tour of potential musical venues by a North Korean delegation over the weekend, two concert halls will be used to celebrate the Olympics and the unification efforts between North and South Korea.

On Feb. 8, the 140-member musical troupe from North Korea will perform at the Gangneung Arts Center, one day before the Olympics Opening Ceremony Feb. 9 at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium.

Three days after the first performance, the troupe will entertain once again in the South Korean capital of Seoul at the National Theater of Korea. The troupe arrives in South Korea on Feb. 6 and will depart on Feb.12, according to a statement from the South Korean Unification Ministry on Jan. 23.

As the North Korean musical delegation departed South Korea, a South Korean delegation also made its own trip north. Twelve officials from South Korea’s Unification Ministry and directors of the inter-Korean exchanges over the past two weeks left for North Korea on Jan. 23.

The officials will visit Mount Kumgang and the Masikryong Ski Resort in eastern North Korea to inspect venues that could be used for joint training sessions for the North and South Korean athletes ahead of the Games.

According to Yonhap, the delegation will first visit the Mount Kumgang resort where a joint cultural event could be held. A trip to the Masikryong ski slopes will follow to evaluate infrastructure before joint ski training can be held.

The last infrastructure inspection will take place at the military Kalma Airport that could be utilized to fly the South Korean athletes to North Korea for the joint training sessions. The South Korean delegation will return home on Jan. 25.

These inter-Korean trips by both countries were made possible by the International Olympic Committee’s confirmation of the joint Korean Olympic proposals on Jan. 20 at a landmark summit between the two countries. The IOC announced that 22 North Korean athletes would compete at PyeongChang 2018 in the disciplines of ice hockey, speed skating, figure skating, cross country skiing and Alpine skiing.

The 12 North Korean hockey players who will compete with South Koreans in the first unified Olympic team will reportedly be the first of the 22 athletes to arrive in South Korea, according to the South Korean Unification Ministry.

The 12 athletes will be joined by the North Korean head coach and two support staff and will arrive in South Korea on Jan. 25 to begin building some chemistry with the South Korean team that has been training together for the Games over the past few years.

The unified team will compete under the name "Korea" while the remaining athletes will compete for their respective countries. Head coach of the unified team Sarah Murray is required to select three North Korean athletes to dress for each Olympic competition, according to the proposal approved by the IOC on Saturday.

The remaining 10 North Korean athletes are expected to arrive in South Korea on Feb. 1. All of the athletes will be staying in the Gangneung Olympic Village, a PyeongChang 2018 official told Yonhap.

The South Korean press agency reports that another North Korean delegation will arrive in South Korea on Jan. 25 to begin inspecting the Olympic venues, including the athletes’ village, Gangneung’s sport venues and the Main Press Center where 21 North Korean media members will be stationed.

The MPC hosted a press conference with PyeongChang 2018 organizers on Jan. 23 where the Opening Ceremony was the central theme. During the ceremony, North and South Korean athletes will march as one under the Korean Unification Flag as the two countries have done at the Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Turin 2006 Olympics.

PyeongChang 2018 organizers say the ceremony will have the central themes of "harmony" and "convergence", appropriate themes given the diplomatic proposals that will bring North and South Koreans together for the Games.

"And the most important value we want to deliver through the ceremonies is peace," said executive creative director of Olympic Ceremonies Seung Whan Song. "With North Korea's participation in the PyeongChang, there have been a lot of expectations for peace Olympics. We would like to deliver the message of peace through the ceremonies."

The Opening and Closing Ceremonies will take place in PyeongChang at the Olympic Stadium. The venue is an open-air arena that can hold 35,000 spectators. Organizers expect very cold temperatures for the ceremonies and will provide fans with items to keep warm, including a raincoat, small blanket, hat, hand and foot heating packs and a heating pad to sit on.

The stadium also has built-in windscreens, 40 portable gas heaters and 18 heating areas throughout the venue, according to organizers.

"We have prepared the measures for the cold weather on the condition that spectators are aware of the bitter cold here," said PyeongChang 2018 President Hee Beom Lee. "So we urge visitors to be ready for the cold weather before showing up."

The PyeongChang Winter Olympics will take place from Feb. 9-25.

Written by Kevin Nutley

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