Pyeongchang2018tabloid5 en

PyeongChang Special Section #5

The Olympics are now in your hands! Go to Korea.net to read more. www.korea.net

Passionate, touching human victories unfold at the PyeongChang Paralympic Games

Passion overcomes adversity The Opening Ceremony for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games takes place at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on March 9. Under the theme of ‘Passion Moves Us,’ the ceremony had a colorful array of performances that symbolized the Paralympic spirit of passion and challenge. (Hyoja-dong Studio)

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No limits for PyeongChang Paralympians

Winter Paralympics begin journey of passion, coexistence

Cultural Olympiad continues with Paralympics

South, North Korea agree to hold 3rd summit in April 01

Team Korea’s para ice hockey team headed for semi-finals Members of the Korean para ice hockey team rejoice after winning their second preliminary match against the Czech Republic 3-2 at the Gangneung Ice Hockey Center on March 11. Having beat Japan 4-1, Korea will face the U.S. on March 13 with two victories under its belt. The Korean para ice hockey team is ranked third in the world. (Heo Man-jin / MCST)

No limits for PyeongChang Paralympians

No mountain is too high to conquer

Belgian sisters claim bronze together

Han Minsu, captain of Team Korea’s para ice hockey team, climbs the torch platform during the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony on March 9. With the Paralympic torch on his back, Han climbed the steep staircase with the aid of his prosthetic foot and a rope, to hand over the flame to the final torchbearers at the top of the Olympic Stadium. (Hyoja-dong Studio)

Belgian para alpine skier Eleonor Sana (right) speeds down the course led by her sister and guide runner Chloé Sana during the PyeongChang Paralympics alpine skiing women’s downhill visually impaired event, held at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre on March 10. The sisters finished the race with a time of 1:31.60 to claim the bronze medal, brining Belgium its first medal in Pyeongchang. (Yonhap News)

Ukrainian para biathlete clinches fifth gold medal

Team Korea wins first medal

Team Ukraine’s Vitaliy Luk’yanenko (center), the reigning champion in the para biathlon, wins the gold medal in the PyeongChang Paralympics biathlon men’s 7.5 km visually impaired event, at the Alpensia Biathlon Centre on March 10.

This is Luk’yanenko’s fifth Paralympics, and his fifth gold medal in the sport. Luk’yanenko began to lose his sight at the age of 5, and started skiing at the age of 10. He has been skiing now for over 30 years. (Kim Sunjoo / Korea.net)

Korean para cross-country skier Sin Eui Hyun (right) claims the bronze medal in the PyeongChang Paralympics cross-country skiing men’s 15 km sitting event, held at the Alpensia Biathlon Centre on March 11. Sin, who finished the race with a time of 42:28.9, won Team Korea’s first PyeongChang Paralympics medal. This is also the third medal for Korea in its Paralympic Winter Games history. (Yonhap News)

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PyeongChang Special Section #5

Olympic torch burns bright in the hands of the two Koreas Cross-country skiers Choi Bogue of South Korea and Ma Yu Chol of North Korea wave to the crowd while carrying the Paralympic torch together during the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony on March 9. (Yonhap News)

Winter Paralympics begin journey of passion, coexistence

North Korean Para team enters athletes’ village for first time

Fireworks celebrate the opening of the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games as the Paralympic flame lights up the torch platform during the Opening Ceremony at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on March 9. (Yonhap News)

by Yoon Sojung

The second chapter of international winter sports festival, the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games kicked off on March 9.

Under the theme of “Passion moves us,” the Opening Ceremony took place at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium. The 2018 Winter Paralympics will last for 10 days, and some 470 athletes from 39 countries will display their capabilities.

Passion and coexistence were the overall messages at the Opening Ceremony.

The ceremony was composed of a series of culture and arts performances. There were drums that symbolize our heartbeat, a traditional court dance to welcome the athletes, the song “Possible Dreams” sung by a blind woman who was able to draw in the world, a wheel of passion that made all the people into one through sports and helped them overcome hardship and obstacles, and finally there was a sphere of coexistence where disability and non-disability were considered to be equal. All these programs expressed the meaning of passion and coexistence, heralding the beginning of another winter festival to unfold in Pyeongchang.

The highlight of the ceremony was torch lighting.

Korean cross country skier Choi Bogue and Ma Yu Chol of North Korea appeared in the stadium while holding the Paralympic torch together. The flame was handed to several other bearers and then to Han Minsu, who leads the Korean para ice hockey team, standing in the middle of the Hill of Challenge, the way up to the torch platform.

Despite his movement disability, Han climbed the steps to the platform by holding a rope with the flame attached, sending the message of passion and challenge to sports fans around the globe.

The flame was then handed to Seo Soonseok and Kim EunJung, the skip of the wheelchair curling team and the skip of Olympic women’s curling team. When the two lit the torch once again, fireworks were launched into the sky to celebrate the opening of the second chapter of the PyeongChang Games, while soprano Sumi Jo and singer Soyhang sang “Here as One” together.

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons said, “If you dream alone, it will be just a dream, but if we dream together, it will become reality.”

“For the next 10 days, you will see dreams become reality in Pyeongchang,” he said.

He also added that Korea has already been making dreams come true as it used to dream of hosting the winter Paralympics about 20 years ago, highlighting the meaning of the 2018 Winter Paralympics.

Team Korea will compete in all Paralympic six sport disciplines. The 83-strong team, the largest ever in Korea’s Paralympic history, hopes to rank in 10th place in the overall medal standings by winning its first-ever gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

North Korea made its first Paralympic appearance, too, as the IPC granted it a wild card place in these Games. It has two athletes, Ma Yu Chol and Kim Jong Hyon. Both athletes will compete in cross country skiing. arete@korea.kr

North Korean athletes march in the snow during a welcome ceremony at the Paralympic athletes’ village in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on March 8. (Yonhap News)

by Lee Kyoung Mi and Yoon Jihye

The North Korean Paralympic team officially checked in for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games on March 8 and has now embarked on its first journey at the Games.

Some 20 members attended the ceremony, including Jong Hyon, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Korean Federation for the Protection of the Disabled (KFPD), and wild card Nordic skiers Ma Yu Chol and Kim Jong Hyon. There were also four standby players and a coaching crew.

The team was welcomed together with the teams from Uzbekistan, China and Georgia.

The KFPD vice president and Kim Jong Hyon presented a formal vase, similar to traditional Goryeo celadon, as a gift to the PyeongChang Paralympic Village Mayor Park Eun-soo. The vice chairman then wrote, “Prestige of our compatriots,” on the Paralympic mural in the village.

Jong Hyon, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Korean Federation for the Protection of the Disabled, and Nordic skier Kim Jong-hyon (center) present a formal vase to the PyeongChang Paralympic Village Mayor Park Eun-soo (right), during their welcoming ceremony in the snow at the athletes’ village in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on March 8. (Yonhap News)

km137426@korea.kr

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Athletes continue journey of hope at PyeongChang Paralympics

Oksana Masters of the U.S. shoots while training at the Alpensia Biathlon Centre in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on March 9. She said she will win the gold medal for her mother who helped her make her dreams come true. (Yonhap News)

by Yoon Sojung

All the athletes from 49 countries who will compete in the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games are already heroes, as they have overcome obstacles to take part in these Games.

For some of them, the 2018 Winter Paralympics will hold even greater significance. Choi Kwang Hyouk, a Korean para ice hockey athlete, and cross country skier Oksana Masters of the U.S. are two such athletes. Both of them have been continuing their journey of hope in new homes after leaving their hometowns.

Choi Kwang Hyouk is the first North Korean defector who has ever become a member of the Korean national Paralympic team.

Choi left his family when he was eight and became a homeless beggar. At the age of 13, he severely injured an ankle and the lower part of his left leg when he fell from a train while selling food secretly. Due to the lack of medical infrastructure in North Korea, his leg was amputated at the ankle with no anesthesia. After losing his left foot, Choi was deeply frustrated. Miraculously, however, in 2000, he received a note from his father who had escaped from the North earlier. One year later, in 2001, he was in South Korea.

Choi began to play para ice hockey in 2014 and soon it became the center of his life. In July last year, he was selected as a member of Team Korea for the 2018 Winter Paralympics.

Choi said that, “Ice hockey feels like my mother whom I lost when I was little, and it seems like a new country to me, which offers me a new home.”

“The united Korean women’s ice hockey team

touched hearts of so many people at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics,” he said.

“I dearly hoped to play in the Paralympics, as it’s being held in this country. I’m so grateful that I have the time to work hard for these great Games,” he added.

Cross country skier Oksana Masters of the U.S. has also found hope in a new place.

She was originally an orphan from Chernobyl, Ukraine. Due to the Chernobyl nuclear reactor incident, she was born with severe birth defects that left her with webbed hands, six toes and deformed legs. She was put in an orphanage right after birth where she spent her early childhood. While in the orphanage, she even suffered from malnutrition and she weighed only 13 kg when she was 7 years old.

Fortunately, however, she got a new chance when she was adopted by a family in the U.S. in 1997.

In Louisville, Kentucky, Masters started a new life with her new family. However, she had her legs amputated when she was 9 and 14-years-old, as her legs couldn’t hold up her body weight as she grew.

At the suggestion of her mother, she learned how to row, cycle and cross country ski, all of which amputee athletes can enjoy. She loved the challenges and really got into them. At the London 2012 Summer Paralympics, she won the bronze medal in rowing. At the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics, she won a silver medal in the 12 km women’s sitting cross country sprint.

In PyeongChang Paralympics, Masters will compete in the cross country and the biathlon events.

In interviews with USA Today and other media outlets, she said, “I want to put the medal around my mom’s neck because she’s why I’m here today, living my dream.”

[Paralympic Preview] Biathlon, cross-country skiing, snowboarding The Olympic and Paralympic games have similar categories but feature sports that are different in many ways, including in terms of required gear and game rules. Korea.net is here to give you a Winter Paralympics preview.

We will compare six Paralympic events with their Olympic counterparts: para alpine skiing, para biathlon, para cross-country skiing, para snowboarding and wheelchair curling. We’ll introduce them as a series to help readers fully enjoy the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.

by Kang Gahui and Yoon Jihye

It’s helpful to know the differences between para cross-country skiing and para biathlon to enjoy the Winter Games. The former is a form of skiing where skiers go fast across snow-covered terrain, and the latter is a combination of skiing and target practice.

For fairness in terms of the kind of disability, para cross-country skiing and para biathlon are divided into visually impaired (B1-B3), standing (LW1-LW9) and sitting (LW10-LW12) categories.

In both sports, standing and visually impaired athletes have a light boot fixed to the front of their skis, while sitting athletes ride on a single ski with a seat on it.

Sitting athletes compete over a relatively shorter distance compared to standing and visually impaired athletes, and blind athletes ski down the slope while receiving guidance about the course, direction and geographical features from a guide runner through a wireless headset.

Biathlon athlete Sin Eui-hyun competes in the men’s 7.5km sitting biathlon event in the PyeongChang Paralympic Games, at the Alpensia Biathlon Centre on March 10. (POCOG)

In para biathlon, sound feedback through the headset becomes louder as blind athletes aim closer at a target, which helps them to shoot more accurately.

Standing and sitting athletes aim at a 13-mm target, about the size of a blueberry, and visually impaired athletes at a 21-mm target. Just like in the Olympics, if para athletes miss the target, they have to ski around a 150-m penalty loop. However, the penalty loop for sitting athletes is shorter at 100m.

The final score is decided by multiplying percentages set according to the sport’s grading system.

Meanwhile, para snowboarding, first introduced here at the PyeongChang Paralympic Game, is classified into upper limb(s) impairment and lower limb(s) impairment.

Para snowboarding has two disciplines, snowboarding cross and banked slalom, and the athlete who finishes three runs down a steep course the fastest wins, and the level of disability doesn’t affect the final score. kgh89@korea.kr

PyeongChang Paralympics, overcome limits and become one

arete@korea.kr

Transport for disabled to be expanded during Paralympics

Transport for the disabled will be expanded during the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. The photo shows the U.S. athletes moving in to the PyeongChang athletes’ village on March 4. (Yonhap News)

by Kim Eun-young and Yoon Sojung

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on March 5 that it has set up additional public transportation measures so that athletes and tourists can avoid any inconvenience when traveling to and from the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.

The ministry will increase the number of wheelchair seats to 15, from the existing five, inside 04

the high-speed KTX Gyeonggang Line trains that carry passengers from Incheon International Airport to all Paralympic venues.

Korail will increase the number of KTX attendants working with its disabled service so that Paralympic goers can get on or off the train more easily. To use the service, you can make a reservation by calling 822-1599-7777. Services in Korean, English, Japanese and Mandarin are available. You can also visit the information center to ask for the service.

Visitors to Pyeongchang, Gangneung and Jeongseon, the three host cities, can use a total of 48 free buses and 139 minibuses that are now equipped with seats for wheelchairs.

A total of 60 seats -- 10 seats onboard each of the six train cars from No. 3 to No. 8 on KTX Gyeonggang Line trains -- will be allocated for advance reservations for the disabled, whether or not they can walk without difficulty. Those who wish to use the service, including non-Korean travelers, need to make a reservation within Korea.

The land ministry hopes that such measures will help with mobility at the Games so that everyone who comes to the PyeongChang Paralympics will be able to take part in a successful Games. eykim86@korea.kr

Four of the torchbearers for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Paralympic Games are (from left) Maria Mahringer, Hong Won-ki, Fransiska Wan and singer Sean of the hip-hop duo Jinusean. (Jeon Han / Korea.net)

by Korea.net PyeongChang Special Report Team

Following the festive atmosphere of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, an additional touch of humanity was felt around the PyeongChang Olympic Plaza in the run up to the Opening Ceremony for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games on March 9.

The sight of families from each country and volunteers pushing wheelchairs together in the crowd, and the people leading the way hand-in-hand for the blind, warmed the hearts despite the strong cold.

Visitors of the opening ceremony all commonly had a Paralympic star in their hearts.

Frances Lukeman from the U.S. said, “The greatest charm of the Paralympics is in the athletes. The selfcommitment of the athletes in doing what they can, and their positive way of thinking, gives us the biggest motivation for life. My husband is also a military veteran, so I want to support the athletes with a military veteran background.”

Ian Soule, the brother of Andy Soule, a Nordic skier from the U.S., said, “I’m excited for the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Paralympics mainly because of the impressive Opening Ceremony of the Games. I want to see and experience all kinds of various events during the Paralympics.”

Extraordinary affection for the Paralympics was also easily heard from the crowds.

Herald von Selzam from Germany said he has attended the Paralympic Games 10 times, ever since the Albertville 1992 Winter Paralympics. He said, “The charm of the Paralympics is that everyone breathes together. In some ways, it’s more interesting than the Olympic Games because we become more intimate with the athletes and local residents.”

Sergey Feschenko, vice chairman of Moscow’s Paralympic committee, said, “In the Paralympics, everyone is the same, regardless of their color, language or even disability. In this moment of the Paralympics, Pyeongchang is the center of the world.” xuaiy@korea.kr

PyeongChang Special Section #5

Cultural Olympiad continues with Paralympics

K-pop stars to attend Paralympic festival The Festival Park in both Pyeongchang and Gangneung will host an exhibition that showcases video clips of Olympic and Paralympic fans throughout the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games that run from March 9 to 18. (MCST)

by Xu Aiying and Sohn JiAe

The Cultural Olympiad, designed to allow Olympic and Paralympic fans to enjoy the cultural heritage and traditions of the host country, continues throughout the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Gangwon-do Provincial government and the PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee are hosting the Paralympic version of the Cultural Olympiad across Pyeongchang and Gangneung throughout the Paralympic Games that run from March 9 to 18.

The set of programs will entertain Paralympic fans, ranging from exhibitions to performances.

There’s the “70mK – Just Simply Korea” exhibition at the Festival Park in both Pyeongchang and Gangneung. It features video clips of interviews with Olympic Games-goers who spoke of their hopes for peace. The term “70mK” is said to mean “70 million,” the approximate combined population of the two Koreas. The exhibition runs from March 9 to 18.

Both disabled and able-bodied dancers came together, too, adding significance to the sporting festival.

“Two Be To One,” held at Hallym University in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, on March 10 and 11, was a series of performances by dancers from Korea, Mongolia, Laos, Japan and the U.S. In addition, along Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung, both disabled and able-bodied artists showcase their installation art pieces about the landscape of the host cities, as well as the

Paralympic Games, at the “Fire Art Festa 2018.”

Seoul, too, is catching the Paralympic fever as it will host a variety of Cultural Olympiad events.

The “Olympic & Paralympic” exhibition, currently underway at Culture Station Seoul 284, the old Seoul Station, has on display more than 300 posters from previous Olympic and Paralympic Games. The “Signal Lights. Connected.” exhibit along the Seoullo 7017 walkway weaves stories of nature and the Olympic and Paralympic Games that the host city of Pyeongchang offers to world by means of light and sound.

More information about the Cultural Olympiad program can be found at www.pyeongchang2018. com/ko/culture/index or at http://blog.naver. com/2018cultureolympiad. xuaiy@korea.kr

by Min Yea-Ji and Lee Hana

Fans of the Korean pop music and entertainment scene are enjoying a number of exciting events during the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in the heart of all the snowy action.

The Snow Festival in March, organized by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and Gangwondo Province, provides several opportunities to meet some of your favorite celebrities at the PyeongChang Paralympics from March 9 to 18.

The four main events are: fan meetings, watching a Paralympic event with a celebrity, a K-pop concert, and an EDM party.

On March 10 and 13, actors Jang Keun-suk and Lee Dong-wook held meet-and-greets for their fans from Korea, Japan, China and Southeast Asia. Following the meetings, the actors watched

a preliminary sled ice hockey match at the Gangneung Hockey Center together with the fans.

On March 15, around 1,000 Paralympic ticketholders will be selected to attend a K-pop concert featuring B1A4, BTOB and GIRLKIND held at Gangneung-Wonju National University’s Haeram Culture Center.

Meanwhile, on March 11 and 17, visitors will be able to take part in an EDM party with Koreastyle deep fried chicken and beer at the Yongpyong Resort Blisshill Stay & Tower Plaza.

More information about the upcoming festival can be found at the websites below: Festival homepage: http://snowfestivalinmarch. com/en/ Festival facebook page: https://www.facebook. com/snowfestivalinmarch/ jesimin@korea.kr

Paralympic Mural unveiled at athletes’ village

A firework display lights up Pyeongchang, host of the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.

The ‘Fire Fantasy-Night of Magic’ show is part of the Cultural Olympiad that will run from March 9 to 18 during the Paralympic Games, at the Festival Park and at the Bongpyeong, Daehwa, Jinbu and Pyeongchang markets. (MCST)

PyeongChang: competition, friendship, honor The Olympic Games are an extraordinary event, impatiently expected by everyone. The burden of the organizers coincides with the emotions of the spectators, and the fun enjoyed by the athletes. The Games are a special time when rivalry based on rules and mutual respect is marked by peace between states, when all our differences are for the time forgotten. Could there be anything more beautiful?

As Margaret Thatcher once said, “The desire to win is born in most of us. The will to win is a matter of training. The manner of winning is a matter of honor.” The PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Games show us how precious is the matter of honor and fair play, when winning is not a matter of politics but of clear rivalry. The approach taken by South and North

During the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, visitors will have a chance to enjoy some fan meet-and-greets, concerts and festivals featuring a range of music and TV celebrities at the Snow Festival in March to be held in both Pyeongchang and Gangneung. (Snow Festival in March)

Piotr Ostaszewski, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Korea

Korea in particular during these Winter Games emphasize that beautiful, antique principle of holy peace.

Let this impression persist forever.

The Paralympic Mural is unveiled at the PyeongChang Athletes’ Village on March 8. International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons (fourth from left), PyeongChang Organizing Committee President Lee Heebeom (fifth from left) and other dignitaries pose for a photo during the unveiling ceremony. (POCOG)

by Min Yea-Ji and Yoon Sojung

The Paralympic Mural was officially unveiled at the PyeongChang Athletes’ Village on March 8. The mural shows support for the disabled by recognizing them not as people who need protection or benefit, but as independent individuals with naturally bestowed human rights.

The ceremony was attended by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jonghwan and Jong Hyon, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Korean Federation for the Protection of the Disabled from North Korea.

Dubbed as “Breaking down barriers,” the mural shows the commitment of support for the principles of the U.N. Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which states that the disabled are to be regarded equally as people without disabilities,

and which promotes their natural dignity. Since the adoption on Dec. 31, 2006, this U.N. Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was introduced at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Summer Games and has been accepted in following Paralympic Games ever since.

PyeongChang Organizing Committee President Lee Heebeom said that every participant in the PyeongChang Paralympics can become a hero who breaks down barriers and prejudice in their hearts and build a bridge of understanding and communication.

The Paralympic Mural will be also decorated with athletes’ signatures, just like the Olympic Truce Mural last month. When the Paralympics end, it will become a legacy monument that marks the principles of the U.N. Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. jesimin@korea.kr

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Korea.net weekly paper covers PyeongChang 2018 Games

‘Enjoy your Paralympics in PyeongChang’ A foreign correspondent looks at the Korea.net Olympic supplement on display at the Main Press Center in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province. (MCST)

by Yoon Sojung

Korea.net’s special weekly Olympic supplement has served as a useful source of information for tourists from around the globe who were visiting Korea for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

The Korea.net supplement was published four times on each Wednesday last month as an eightpage tabloid-sized newspaper. It contained not only news about sports, star athletes and medalists across all disciplines, but also had helpful information for tourists, such as winter tourism opportunities, public transport schedules and instructions on how to use the interpretation services.

The weekly newspaper also offered customized content for each theme of the 2018 Winter Olympics, such as peace, high-tech and cultural heritage. It also had interviews with fans that Korea.net met at the Games venues, and a series of Olympic messages from ambassadors to Korea who emphasized the meaning of peace at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The newspaper had QR codes in nine languages on the back to give readers the chance to read the articles in their own language on their smartphones,

expanding the range of potential readers.

The newspaper delivered accurate news about Korea in various sectors, including governmental policies, such as a series of summits hosted by President Moon Jae-in with heads of state who were visiting Korea for the Winter Olympics. For this reason, the newspaper attracted the attention of journalists, especially at the International Broadcasting Center (IBC) at the Main Press Center (MPC) in Pyeongchang.

According to staff at the PyeongChang IBC, the Korea.net Olympic supplement received favorable responses from the center’s users, as it was the only weekly newspaper published regularly, and because it was easy to read and to carry. Some foreign reporters asked at the MPC when the next edition will be out.

Korea.net will publish its Paralympic supplement two times during the PyeongChang Paralympic Winter Games. The newspaper will be available at the MPC and at the IBC in PyeongChang, at Korea House at the Gangneung Olympic Park, at the National Museum of Korea, and inside the train cars along the high-speed KTX Gyeonggang Line that connects Seoul, Gangneung and Pyeongchang. arete@korea.kr

Athletes’ leisure space opens at Team Korea House

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon (front row, second from left) listens to Jung Jae-joon, the chief manager at Team Korea House, as he presents Team Korea House, at the Gangneung Olympic Park in Gangneung on March 10.

(Jeon Han / Korea.net)

by Korea.net PyeongChang Special Report Team

Team Korea House at the Gangneung Olympic Park, which provides leisure space for the nation’s Paralympic athletes, and which was also open during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, re-opened on March 10 after a brief refurbishment.

Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Roh Tae-kang, President Lee Myungho of the Korea Paralympic Committee, and chef de mission for the Korean Paralympic 06

delegation, Bae Dong-hyun, visited Team Korea House, which will be open until March 18.

Team Korea House consists of facilities for visitors to help them experience Korean tourism, traditions and pop culture. There’s the Korea promotional hall and an open studio that specializes in broadcasting, and facilities for the national athletes, such as a multimedia room to analyze their performances, and some lounges.

After the refurbishments to make the facilities more usable during the Paralympics, wheelchair access was improved and braille signs and other facilities were also set up.

Vice Minister Roh said, “We tried to make a Team Korea House that is suitable for a world-class para sport facility. Team Korea House is a major venue that not only promotes Korea, but also supports our Paralympic athletes. I hope that our athletes and their friends and family members can feel comfortable here, so that it can help improve their condition for the Games.”

Jung Jae-joon, the chief manager at Team Korea House, said, “Everyone who visits the Paralympics are welcome to visit Team Korea House. Hopefully, it will become a source of opportunity to understand better about disability sport.” twkim0717@korea.kr

Korean Paralympic Committee President Lee Myung-ho says he hopes that all athletes can enjoy the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Paralympics, at Korea House during its opening ceremony at the Gangneung Olympic Park on March 10.

(Jeon Han / Korea.net)

by Xu Aiying and Yoon Sojung

“I hope all the athletes can enjoy the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Paralympics,” said Korea Paralympic Committee President Lee Myung-ho.

The Korea Paralympic Committee president said during its opening ceremony at the Gangneung Olympic Park on March 10 that his committee had worked hard to prepare for the event so that not only the athletes but also their families and the audience could also enjoy the great winter para sports festival.

Lee Myung-ho is a former Paralympian who won a bronze medal in weightlifting at the Asian Para Games 1999 in Bangkok, and is considered to be a living legend in the history of Korean Paralympic sports. As the head of the Korean Paralympic Committee, Lee has been preparing for the PyeongChang Paralympics in every single detail so that the Games would satisfy everyone.

“In 1988, Korea successfully hosted both the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games at the same time, becoming the first country in the world to host the two events,” he said.

“I hope we can complete Korea’s 30-year history of the Olympics by successfully hosting the PyeongChang Paralympics, as Korea is the first country to host the two Games,” said Lee. “It is meaningful to experience the joy and honor of participating in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, both of which Korea is hosting once again,” he said with a smile.

Korea.net sat down with Lee to learn more about the 2018 Winter Paralympics.

A total of 570 athletes from 49 countries will take part in the 2018 Winter Paralympics. What do you expect the athletes to learn at the PyeongChang Paralympics?

The athletes from countries that have an advanced sports infrastructure seem to enjoy the sport itself. If

one cares too much about their performance, however, they seem to have less desirable results. I hope that the athletes can enjoy the Games themselves rather than being concerned about the results, and make some wonderful memories here.

Team Korea aims to come in 10th place in the overall medal standings, with its athletes participating in all six sporting disciplines. What preparations has the team undergone so far in order to achieve that goal?

Science has a greater effect on performance in today’s sports. It applies the same in the Paralympics. We use a lot of sport science and more athletes are training overseas than in the past, for better performances. We also scouted overseas experts in many fields to help with our athletes’ training.

Not only the athletes, but many in the audience seem to have physical disabilities. What facilities have you prepared for them?

There’s a fixed manual of standards for Paralympic Game venues and the athletes’ villages.

I can understand better what difficulties disabled athletes or tourists would have. We tried to take care of every single details in this regard, and we’re using them all ourselves. So there shouldn’t be any problem.

What do you wish to say to our readers from around the world who are watching the PyeongChang Paralympics?

In the past, Korea used to lack a lot of infrastructure for disabled sports. However, I wish to say that, as the host of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Korea now has the same level of welfare and facilities for the disabled as any other advanced country. xuaiy@korea.kr

PyeongChang Special Section #5

South, North Korea agree to hold 3rd summit in April

Chief of the National Security Office Chung Eui-yong (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shake hands after Chung delivered a signed letter to Kim from President Moon Jae-in, in the main building of the Workers Party of Korea in Pyongyang on March 5. (Cheong Wa Dae)

by Jeon Han and Yoon Sojung

“The South and the North have agreed to hold a third inter-Korean summit at the Peace House at the Panmunjom truce village in late April,” said National Security Office Chief Chung Eui-yong.

Chung, who led a special delegation from the South to the North, announced the results of his mission in the evening of March 6 at the Chunchugwan Press Center at Cheong Wa Dae after returning from his two-day journey to Pyongyang to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “The North clearly expressed its commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and said it would have no reason to possess nuclear weapons should the safety of its regime be guaranteed and if military threats against the North were removed, said the senior presidential security adviser.”

Chung also said that, “The North expressed its will to have candid dialogue with the U.S. for discussing the issue of denuclearization and the normalization of Pyongyang-Washington ties.”

“The North clearly stated that it would not resume any strategic, provocative acts, such as additional nuclear tests or the firing of ballistic missiles. As the talks continue, they also vowed neither to use any nuclear weapons nor any conventional weapon toward the South,” he added.

After reporting the results of the delegation’s trip

to President Moon Jae-in upon returning to Seoul, Chung said that the two sides would work together on more detailed working-level negotiations. He said that the two sides agreed to set up a hot line between the two leaders to ease military tensions and to further enhance close consultations.

He also said that both sides agreed to have their first telephone conversation before the third inter-Korean summit.

The meeting between the North Korean leader and high-ranking officials and the South’s special delegation took place in the main building of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang on March 5. Meeting participants included Kim Yo-jong, deputy director for the Workers’ Party’s Department of Propaganda and Agitation, who also attended the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, and Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the North Korean Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, who attended the Closing Ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Chung added that the North invited a South Korean troupe of taekwondo performers and a group of musicians and dancers to Pyongyang in order to maintain the recent mood of reconciliation and cooperation between the two Koreas, backed by the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. hanjeon@korea.kr

Trump to meet NK leader by May: national security chief

President Moon Jae-in (front, left) waves after he declared the Games officially open during the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 9. Third and fourth from left in the back row are Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly in North Korea, and Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and second from right in the front row is U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. (Yonhap News)

by Sohn JiAe

Chief of the National Security Office Chung Euiyong announced at a press conference on March 8 that, “U.S. President Donald Trump said he would meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May this year.”

Before the press briefing, Chung held talks with President Trump at the White House and delivered to him a handwritten letter from the North Korean leader.

“I told President Trump that the North Korean leader said he is committed to denuclearization. Kim pledged that Pyongyang will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests,” Chung said. “Kim also expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible.”

In response, President Trump said he would also like to meet Kim by May to achieve permanent denuclearization, the chief said.

Chung went on to say that, “The Republic of Korea, along with the U.S., Japan and our many partners around the world, remain fully and resolutely committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

“Along with President Trump, we are optimistic about continuing a diplomatic process to test the possibility of a peaceful resolution. Korea, the U.S. and our partners stand together on insisting that we not repeat the mistakes of the past and that pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete action.” jiae5853@korea.kr

President Moon hails US-NK summit as ‘historic milestone for peace’ Chief of the National Security Office Chung Eui-yong briefs U.S. President Donald Trump on the outcome of his delegation’s recent visit to North Korea, at the White House on March 8. (Cheong Wa Dae)

by Sohn JiAe

President Moon Jae-in has hailed a possible May summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and has called it a “historic milestone that will accomplish peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

On March 9, President Moon said, “With the two consecutive summits, first between the two Koreas and then between Washington and Pyongyang, complete denuclearization on the peninsula has been put on the right track in earnest.”

He expressed his gratitude to President Trump for

gladly accepting the North Korean leader’s offer, saying that, “His leadership will receive praise not only for from the peoples of both South and North Korea, but also from people around the world.”

President Moon promised that his government would make the best of these opportunities that have “come as a miracle,” with sincerity and care, but not slowly.

The president also ordered the formation of a committee that would handle the inter-Korean summit scheduled for late April, so as to be able to draw effective outcomes from the upcoming talks that will, in the end, help improve inter-Korean ties. jiae5853@korea.kr

Special delegation to visit China, Japan, Russia for Korean peace talks

by Yoon Sojung

The special presidential delegation that visited Pyongyang and Washington recently will head to Beijing, Moscow and Tokyo starting March 12 to ask for those governments' cooperation on peace talks.

They will explain to the leaders and top ranking officials in neighboring countries the results of the Pyongyang and Washington visits, and ask for their cooperation on the establishment of a peace structure for the Korean Peninsula.

Chief Chung Eui-yong of the National Security Office will visit Beijing on March 12 and 13 to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi. They will discuss the outcome of the delegation’s Pyongyang and Washington visits.

Chung will then head to Moscow to meet top-ranking Russian officials and to explain the results of his Pyongyang and Washington visits. He is also set to listen to Russia’s view on denuclearization negotiations on the Korean Peninsula.

In the meantime, National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon and Second Deputy Chief of the Presidential National Security Office Nam Gwan-pyo will visit Tokyo on March 12 and 13 to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Currently, Korea’s neighbors are showing signs of welcome concerning the potential Pyongyang-Washington talks.

According to China’s Xinhua News Agency and to the People’s Daily, President Xi Jinping said after holding a phone call with U.S.

President Donald Trump on March 9 that he would like to praise Trump’s strong yearning to seek a political resolution to issues on the Korean Peninsula. President Xi also hoped that the talks between North Korea and the U.S. would achieve a positive outcome.

Japan also welcomed the news, but expressed concern that Tokyo may not be involved in the process of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

The Kyodo News Agency said on March 11 that, “The Japanese government would pay JPY 300,000 if North Korea would receive a nuclear inspection.” The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on March 9 that, “The Japanese government welcomes the prospect of the Pyongyang-Washington talks, while remaining concerned whether or not Tokyo’s involvement would be included in the progress of the negotiations on Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile development program.”

Meanwhile, National Security Office Chief Chung expressed positive prospects for the upcoming potential Seoul-Pyongyang and Pyongyang-Washington talks.

Right after his arrival at Incheon International Airport from Washington on March 11, Chung told reporters that, “Thanks to the Korean people’s support, the SouthNorth Korean summit was agreed upon, and I believe the summit between the U.S. and North Korean leaders would come true.”

“I would like to highly praise President Moon Jae-in and President Trump’s strong will and determination to achieve the goal of denuclearizing on the Korean Peninsula and to establish a peace structure on the Korean Peninsula,” he added. arete@korea.kr

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