PyeongChang breaks the ice
The 2018 Winter Games opened yesterday with a ceremony that attracted 35,000 spectators at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium. The march-past brought together the two Koreas together for the first time in 12 years and the presence of North Korean authorities in the VIP box, headed by honorary president, Kim Yong-nam and Kim Yo-jong, the sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a spectacular festival, filled with theatre, music and colour, hoping to send a strong message of peace around the world.
Five children led the show with a narrative thread of a story in which different characters from Korean mythology appeared, recalling the Barcelona ceremony 25 years ago, with huge figures of animals draped over groups of dancers weaving through the stadium. Alongside a moving interpretation of “Aegukga,” the South Korean national anthem, there was room for traditional Korean songs and even the inevitable Gangnam Style.
The French delegation was led by the North Catalan biathlon Martin Fourcade while the Andorran team marched behind skier Irineu Esteve. Ander Mirambell and Quim Salarich formed part of the Spanish troupe while Queralt Castellet and other alpine skiers did not. Standing out most in the parade was the single representative of the Pacific island of Tonga, but the crowd-pleaser of the day was the appearance of the two Koreas marching together under one flag.