5 Interesting Facts About the South Korean Olympics

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If you should know three things about Koreans, it’s that:

  1. Yes, they really do drink a lot
  2. The majority of them are down-to-the-bone workaholics
  3. They all transform into the biggest patriots and sports fans during the Olympics.

Tomorrow is the 500 day mark before the start of the 2018 Winter Games Olympics which will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea. And though there’s still over a year left before the start of the games, the anticipation leading up to the events is already evident.

To celebrate the 500 day countdown before the 2018 Olympic Games, 10 Mag has decided to put together a list of 5 interesting facts you probably didn’t know about the Olympics in South Korea (one for every 100 days left before the opening ceremony)!

1. The first (and only) time Korea hosted the games was in 1988 in Seoul.

This was the second Olympic games to be held in Asia, the first being the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

2. In the planning stages of the 1988 games, there was talk of having the events be co-hosted by both North and South Korea.

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However, the negotiations ultimately failed and North Korea boycotted the games. Cuba, Nicaragua, and Ethiopia, and Madagascar supported North Korea by also participating in the boycott.

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3. Pyeongchang is South Korea’s third consecutive bid to host the games, losing previously to Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014.

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4. Pyeongchang is located in the Gangwon-do province, which is located in the Northeast of the South Korean peninsula. 

(CC Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Gangwon-do is a beautiful region of South Korea – it’s a huge tourist destination for Koreans and foreigners alike because of the province’s diverse natural resources and activities. To learn why Gangwon-do is the new hot tourist spot in Korea, click here.

5. To celebrate the 500 day mark until the start of the games, the South Korean Olympic Committee has been hosting a bunch of events around the country.


The Pyeongchang Olympics G-500 Festival

  • Date and Time: 9.27 (Tues) 13:00-21:20
  • Location: Yeouido Hangang Park (330 Yeouidong-ro, Seoul)
  • Events: K-pop performances, Fireworks, Exhibition of the 2018 Olympics

G-500 International Festival

  • Date and Time: 9.27 (Tues) 12:00 (강원도 평창군 평창읍 군청길 77)
  • Location: Pyeongchang District Square (Gangwon-do Pyeongchang-gun Pyeongchang-eup Guncheong-gil 77)
  • Events: “Single Bungle Show” Live, Exhibition of the 2018 Olympics

Gangneung “One Heart Festival”

  • Date and Time: 9.27 (Tues) 19:30
  • Location: Gangneung Stadium (408 Gyo-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon)
  • Events: K-pop performances 

If you’re in Korea, then make sure to start preparing yourself for the upcoming 2018 Olympics – because even if you don’t, everyone around you will!