The opening ceremony of Pyeongchang 2018 was held in the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium, as only one of two events to take place there, with the other being the closing ceremony. The opening ceremony was created by Song Seung-whan as Executive Creative Director, who used "harmony" and "synthesis" as the main themes of the ceremony. He was supported by Yang Jung Ung and Chang You-jeong as Creative Directors. The opening ceremony took place on 9 February 2018, with "Peace in Motion" as its motto.
The number 5 stood centrally in the opening ceremony. The main characters of the opening ceremony were Haenarae, Ara, Puri, Bichae, and Nuri, representing the five elements of fire, water, wood, metal, and earth, respectively. This number is also the number of rings in the Olympic flag. This was also reflected in the shape of the stadium: a pentagram.
Countdown[]
The countdown existed out of two separate parts. The first part showed the road to Pyeongchang 2018, showing the posters of each edition of the Winter Olympic Games in Incheon Airport, finally arriving at important Korean landmarks, like the Hangang River and Sungnyemun, in a winter atmosphere. The second part showed the countdown towards the winter festival. With the "Bell of Peace" in a serene lake, where the first segment ended, the audience inside the stadium was able to count down while the rough waves in the lake changed into numbers. When the countdown reaches zero, sunlight reaches the Bell of Peace, allowing the bell to ring to calm the waves, freeze the lake, and bring peace to the country. This was also reflected in several other parts of the country, where bells were rung to connect everyone, in order to start a peaceful festival. This segment was concluded with a firework show.
The Land of Peace[]
The next segment introduced the five children who discover a mysterious cave in their adventures. The cave looks like an ancient temple with a strange device in its center. Activating this device allows different murals to come alive, signifying Korean heritage, including the White Tiger, which leads the children to the past. The Tiger, who creates the country of Korea, shows that the perfect land is protected by three other guardians: the Blue Dragon, the Vermillion Bird, and the Black Tortoise. After gaining the respect of the four guardians, the children enter a world where flora and fauna are able to live in unison with humans. Here, the children meet Ung-nyeo, who is a character from the creation myth of Korea. After she prays for peace among people, the mediator between the heavens and earth joins, together with the Phoenix, as the legendary bird of peace. When the children walk towards the heavenly altar, the festival for every living thing begins, showing in the Chart of the Constellations and the Regions of Korea (Cheongsang Yeolcha Bunyajido).
Entry of the President[]
After the segment introducing the five main characters of the opening ceremony, the President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in and the president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach are introduced. Notable dignitaries included American vice president Mike Pence, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and North Korean Kim Yo-jung, the sister of supreme leader Kim Jong-un, as the first time a member of the Kim dynasty had visited South Korea since 1950.
Taegeuk: Harmony of the Cosmos[]
Taegeuk: Harmony of the Cosmos was all about balance and the law of the universe. This was shown using the national flag of South Korea, the Taegeukgi. To create balance, the janggo is played. The sounds of the traditional drums create light, and the light creates force. The drummers express the life force between yin and yang, and how they live together in harmony. Once the force reaches its climax, the force is divided into a yin and a yang, which forms into the taegeuk.
Korean National Flag and Anthem[]
After the deconstruction of the Korean flag, the moment was fitting to introduce the Korean flag and its corresponding national anthem. The flag was being carried into the stadium by eight Korean athletes who have competed in different sports:
- Kang Kwang-bae (bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge)
- Jin Sun-yu (short track)
- Pak Se-ri (golf coach)
- Lee Seung-yuop (baseball)
- Hwang Young-cho (athletics)
- Seo Hyang-soon (archery)
- Lim O-kyeong (handball)
- Ha Hyung-joo (judo)
As per tradition, the national anthem of the host nation was played, performed by the Rainbow Choir, 40 children from multi-cultural families, to convey a message of harmony.
Parade of Athletes[]
The longest segment of the opening ceremony was the parade of the participating athletes into the stadium. These were conducted in alphabetical order according to the Korean alphabet, with the only exceptions being Greece (which entered first) and Korea (which entered last). Each team was led by a placard bearer in a snowflake-decorated costume and a child holding a traditional lantern. South Korea and North Korea would enter together for the first time since the 2007 Asian Winter Games, and Torino 2006, to show the improved relationship between the two countries. Both countries also chose a flag bearer, who would carry the flag together.
Arirang: The River of Time[]
The following segment showed the versatility of the Korean countryside, starting with a video showcasing the changing seasons in Korea, ending with a blooming buckwheat field, representing the people of Korea. Within endless fields of buckwheat flowers, the five children cross the serene environment using a auraji raft, symbolizing the life and dreams of the people of the province of Gangwon. If a storm approaches, the fields get destroyed, but once this natural event has passed, the flowers rise up again, and fireflies come out, just like the Korean people overcoming difficult ordeals and trials.
All for the Future[]
After exploring the past and the present on the River of Time, the children arrive at a glittering gate. The falling snow lets the children draw in the air, making them able to show their dreams for their futures. While the children have ambitions to become a doctor, an intelligence specialist, a K-pop star, an architect, and a teacher, the occupations have changed vastly throughout the years, with the importance of technology taking an important part in their daily lives. The light of the River of Time creates a new world, where everyone communicates freely, without any real borders. However, the people of the world should welcome this change, as it's almost impossible to live without technology. Since the new world belongs to the people, and everyone is connected, messages of peace are sent through the Medialink (internet) as a step towards peace in the world.
Speeches[]
The next formal segment of the opening ceremony shows the president of the Pyeongchang Organizing Committee Lee Hee-beom and the president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach perform speeches to look forward to the eventful weeks, as well as reflecting back to Seoul 1988, the previous time the Olympic Games were held in South Korea. This segment ends with the official opening of the Olympic Games by the president of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in, closing off with a firework show.
Peace in Motion[]
After the five children have explored the past, present, and future, they return to the present, praying for the wellbeing of their families using lit candles. The light of the candles is passed on from one family to the next, until the light has traveled across the world, connecting everyone. The message of peace is enhanced by the song of peace "Imagine" being sung around the world, and the dove of peace being released into the sky. The doves of peace and the fireflies (conducted by drones) travel to the nearby ski venue, where the drones form a snowboarder in action in the air. As a start sign for the snowboarders on the venue, they travel together with the drones down the slope, showing the coexistence of humans and technology once again. At the end of the slope, the snowboarders halt to create the Olympic rings with flares, after which the gesture is mirrored by the drones in the sky.
Olympic Flag and Anthem[]
As the formal segments concluded the opening ceremony, the Olympic flag was being carried into the stadium by eight Korean athletes who have competed at the Winter Olympic Games or young rising stars in winter sports. With the hoisting of the Olympic flag, the Olympic anthem was sung by Hwang Su-mi, the soloist of the Bonn Opera Theatre.
Olympic Oaths[]
As per tradition, an athlete, a judge, and a coach from the host nation take the Olympic oath to promise a fair edition of the Olympic Games, in accordance with the Olympic ideals. To take the oath for Pyeongchang 2018, athlete Mo Tae-bum (Speed Skating) was selected, together with judge Kim Woo-sik (Snowboarding) and coach Park Ki-ho (Nordic Combined).
Olympic Flame[]
- See also: Pyeongchang 2018/Torch
This segment once again looked back to the road to Pyeongchang 2018, this time focusing on the torch relay. The torch was lit on 24 October 2017 in Greece and entered South Korea on 1 November 2017. Showcasing different parts of the torch relay and the different modes of transportation, the torch arrived in Pyeongchang, carried into the stadium by four-time Olympic champion Chun Lee-kyung, who relayed the torch to Park Inbee, the first Korean to win Olympic gold in golf. After Ahn Jung-hwan (football player at three World Cups, but never competed at the Olympic Games), the torch was carried over to Park Jong-ah (South Korea) and Jong Su-hyon (North Korea), two members of the Korean ice hockey team to compete at Pyeongchang 2018, in a sign of unity across the nations. Finally, the torch was carried to Kim Yu-na, who lit the Olympic cauldron after a short figure skating performance.
Wish Fire[]
The opening ceremony ended with Dokkaebi, curious pranksters who enjoy music and dance. They bring the energy of the Olympic flame to everyone, striving for peace and prosperity in the world. The segment ends with a firework show, also ending the opening ceremony of Pyeongchang 2018.