CGTN America
In this Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, photo, the Olympic Rings, Winter Olympic Games’ official mascots, white tiger Soohorang, left, for the Olympics, and black bear Bandabi for Paralympics are placed at the Gyeongpodae beach, in Gangneung, South Korea. South Korea’s sleepy skiing destination of Pyeongchang is finally looking like a Winter Olympics host city after more than a decade of work, two failed bids, and chapters of controversy over venue locations, construction delays and costs. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
South Korea is preparing to host the 2018 Winter Games, as the country is picking up preparation for the events.
CCTV’s Jack Barton reports with a sneak peek.
Preparations are said to be well advanced.
“We have 12 competition venues, six of which are being newly built and the progress rate is at about 85 percent,” Lee Jihye, head of international media relations of the Pyeongchang Organizing Committee said.
It’s not just ice rinks and bob sleigh runs popping up. There are new roads even a multibillion-dollar high-speed rail link through the mountains to the host city.
Back above ground a visitor center is already promoting the Games and explaining events. For instance Curling, which is apparently chess on ice with magic brooms. Its South Korea so of course everything will be super high-tech.
The visitor center is made from shipping contains to be more environmentally friendly.
Olympic officials no doubt hope that after the political sensitivities surrounding the last winter games in Russia and Rio’s many issues, including Zika, that the only eventfulness surrounding the Korean games will be the sporting events themselves.
