As the KTX “bullet train” to Gangwon Province passes through its final stations, visitors to the Olympic Games venue may intuitively choose to disembark at PyeongChang Station. But here is why “PyeongChang 2018” may be the most misleading name for the Winter Olympics in South Korea -- not only does the name sound precariously similar to the capital of North Korea (Pyongyang), PyeongChang only has one Olympics venue: Phoenix Snow Park, where Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard games will take place. P

Chongryon, a pro-Pyongyang association of Korean residents in Japan, is stepping up work to create a cheering squad for North Korean athletes who will take part in South Korea's Winter Olympics, sources well-versed in the organization said Wednesday. The South Korean government promised to guarantee the safety of the Chongryon cheering squad, during its recent talks with the North on its participation in the Olympics.The size of the cheering group has been set at around 170 people, and it can be

North Korea will dispatch 15 women‘s ice hockey team members to the South, together with an eight-member advance team Thursday, the Ministry of Unification said late Tuesday night. The advance team is to be led by Yoon Yong-bok, a deputy director at North Korea‘s Sports Ministry. Additionally, the 15 members to join the South in forming an inter-Korean Olympic team include 12 players, a coach and two support personnel, according to the ministry.  Players from South Korea and North Korea pose for

South Korea women’s national hockey coach Sarah Murray said Tuesday she has “mixed feelings” about having to coach the joint Korean team at the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics.At a hastily scheduled press conference at the national team practice rink, Murray said it‘s “exciting” to coach the first-ever unified Korean team in any sport at the Olympic Games, though she wished it didn’t have to come at the expense of her own players.“It‘s exciting to be a part of something that’s so historic,

South Korea's presidential office on Sunday welcomed the International Olympic Committee's approval of North Korean athletes' participation in the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The IOC said Saturday that North Korea will be allowed to send 22 athletes to compete in three sports at the games after a meeting with representatives from the two Koreas in Lausanne, Switzerland.They include 12 North Korean players to join the South Korean women's hockey squad to establish the first joint Olympi

LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Olympic and government officials from North Korea and South Korea have begun a meeting at the International Olympic Committee headquarters in Switzerland to confirm how they will unite for the Pyeongchang Winter Games next month.Sports ministers from both countries have joined the session to build on a breakthrough agreement reached Wednesday at their shared border. yeongChang 2018 Olympics (POCOG) President Lee Hee-beom, North Korea`s Sports Minister and Olympic Committ

LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- The International Olympic Committee said Friday it has created a pool of 389 Russians who are eligible to compete under a neutral flag at next month's Winter Olympics amid the country's doping scandal.An IOC panel whittled down an initial list of 500 to create what the IOC calls "a pool of clean athletes.'' That could potentially make it possible for Russia to meet its target of fielding around 200 athletes in Pyeongchang _ slightly fewer than in Sochi in 2014, but more

South Korea's top diplomat said Friday Seoul is working closely with the international community to make sure North Korea's PyeongChang Olympic participation does not run afoul of international sanctions imposed on the North. "We are closely working with the United States and the United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea so that there should be no controversy regarding the North's PyeongChang Olympic participation running counter to international sanctions,"Foreign Minis

Only an hour's drive from the Winter Olympics venues in South Korea, a stained mattress lies in an abandoned ski resort, a possible harbinger of the gleaming new facilities' fate.The Alps Ski Resort was one of the country's first winter sports destinations, attracting tens of thousands of skiers every year until it abruptly shut its doors in 2006.Now South Korea has spent $800 million on the sporting facilities for next month's Winter Olympics, but the International Olympic Committee has express

Two Koreas’ decision to use the North’s Masikryong Ski Resort as training facility draws flak

South Korea on Thursday marked the start of the 50-day countdown to the PyeongChang Paralympic Games amid rising expectations for North Korea's first Winter Paralympics appearance. The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Games held an event to promote the upcoming Paralympics at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul with some 200 guests, including athletes, families and volunteers. Notable attendees included first lady Kim Jung-sook, POCOG President Lee Hee-beom, Vice

As South Korea is pushing for a joint women's hockey team with North Korea for the upcoming Winter Olympics, one of its opponents is none too pleased with the prospect of facing an expanded roster in the tournament.South Korea is looking to add a few extra North Korean players at the Feb. 9-25 PyeongChang Winter Games. The two sides are scheduled to further discuss the issue later Wednesday.South Korea's first game is against Switzerland on Feb. 10 in Group B action. While Olympic hockey rosters

INCHEON -- North Korea doesn't have enough talent to make a difference for South Korea in women's hockey even if a joint team is assembled for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, South Korea head coach said Tuesday.Sarah Murray, who returned from the team's U.S. training camp, said she only heard about Seoul's push for the single Korean hockey team two days ago -- and from her staff and other journalists at that, not from any government officials. South Korea proposed the idea to North Korea during

During the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games, most athletes will be eating at restaurants in the two Olympic villages in PyeongChang and Gangneung, where the Olympics will take place from Feb. 9-25, followed by the 10-day Paralympics, which will kick off on March 9. Food safety inspectors monitor samples of food and beverage for athletes on Monday at a laboratory vehicle set up near the Olympic Village restaurant in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province. The Ministry of Food and Drug

The torch for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games arrived in Seoul on Saturday for a four-day relay event throughout the capital city.The torch relay will be held in the city until Tuesday in a course that spans 103 kilometers, with some 600 torchbearers joining the race, according to officials at the Seoul Metropolitan Government.It marks the first time in nearly 30 years for the capital city to hold a torch relay event since the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul. The 2018 Winter Games will kick