For South Korea, the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, the first-ever Winter Games the country hosted, spotlighted a decadeslong push to raise Korea’s global profile as a nation that is as much invested in giving back to the international community as it is in advancing its interests.
The PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation looks to build on that legacy as it searches for its role in empowering youth, after the two-week Winter Youth Olympics kicked off Friday in Gangwon Province. Korea is the first Asian country to hold the Winter Youth Olympics.
“We want to raise awareness and to do so, we’re bringing the Games to young people,” said Kim Arram, head of the education team at the foundation, referring to various programs organized by the group.
“It all comes down to this. We organize tours to those Games, so people can really see athletes they’ve seen on television. The tour participants can try skating on the actual rinks, too,” Kim said of what the foundation calls its signature interactive programs.
Those programs involve inviting young people aged 23 and below to not only the Olympic Games themselves, but to actual sites and facilities previously used during the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.
“Hands-on experiences are the fastest way to engage youngsters. And we do have something else for those who easily get bored,” Kim said, noting that many local festivals like music concerts are taking place concurrently with the tours.
“And you need to get something more educational out of all this, other than just having fun. So we’ve set aside ‘motivational meetings,’” Kim added, referring sessions tour participants will have with the likes of Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yuna,
According to Kim Arram, about 20,000 people have already applied for the programs that will be offered for two weeks this year, a number approaching the 35,000 the foundation had seen since 2020 when it kicked off such programs to engage young people. The programs are available free of charge,
“Out of the 20,000 people wanting to join programs, about 13,000 want a day trip to the province,” Kim said. The foundation runs day trips as well as tours that last at least three days, including overnight stays, in Gangwon Province.
And the tours are more than either just educational or recreational, Kim stressed, pointing to the local economic benefits from the influx of visitors.
“So from where we see, we educate the youths while helping the local economy. It’s a win-win,” Kim said. The foundation usually sends out notices to elementary, middle and high schools twice a year during the summer and winter breaks to seek participants.
“We do reach out to other welfare centers as well, those facilities often marginalized to see the Olympics,” Kim noted.
That outreach extends to foreigners.
According to the foundation, it ran a 10-day camp involving less-privileged foreign nationals to see the Winter Olympics. The 130 participants at the camp that ended Monday included those with disabilities.
“The outreach is for the greater good,” Kim said. The camp participants were also invited to take part in programs aimed at boosting their understanding of Korea, Kim added.
Meanwhile, for the first time the Winter Youth Olympics will adopt what it says is a gender parity rule, meaning the number of events in the Olympic programs will be the same for both men and women, at 34. The programs this time will feature seven sports and 15 disciplines, for a total of 81 events.
The 15 disciplines are: Alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsledding, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, hockey, luge, Nordic combined, short track speedskating, skeleton, ski jumping, snowboarding and speedskating.
A total of 1,802 athletes from 78 National Olympic Committees are competing at this year’s games, with five countries joining the event for the first time: Algeria, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.
The government of Gangwon Province is also doing its part to raise awareness, with an exhibition featuring calligraphy, paintings and folding screens at Gangwon’s Chuncheon National Museum.
The exhibition showcases artifacts that offer a glimpse into what it would be like to traverse Geumgangsan, a mountain in the province that has been featured in numerous works of Korean art. Also on the exhibit are pieces detailing scenic places along Daegwallyeong, a high mountain pass, also in the province.
“A legacy to carry on and a dream to build on,” Kim said, noting that the foundation will continue to engage not only domestic but also foreign audiences.
“Our job is to have as many people as possible watch the Games and get inspiration from them. It’s a long way to go, but we have no doubt we’re on the right track.”
