[PyeongChang 2018] How foreign visitors chronicle Winter Olympics journeys online

This year, as many as 80,000 people from abroad boarded flights to South Korea in hopes of being a part of the Olympics buzz. And with the influx of visitors for the 2018 PyeongChang Games, we thought we’d take a look at how they chronicled their Winter Olympics adventures online.

Strap in for some trending Twitter hashtag memes, Tinder thirstiness, quirky Gangwon Province hangouts and addictive vlogs: 


When in doubt, try for a gold medal in irony

Olympics visitors and apparent nonvisitors have been coming up with ironic tweets about their personal victories as couch potato champions. The Twitter trending hashtags #IHaveAGoldMedalIn and #MyOlympicTrainingIncludes were particularly notable.

Twitter users with a self-deprecating sense of humor proudly displayed their less-than-athletic nature as they tweeted about their shameless sloth-like lifestyles and love for fast food. 

One user was an online savage and said their sport was “throwing (their) co-workers under the bus.” 

YouTuber heaven

This year’s Winter Olympics has also gained the interest of several famed YouTubers.

Tyler Oakley has over 7.8 million subscribers on his channel, and has been wrapped up in the PyeongChang frenzy. The 28-year-old, who is openly gay, made a video with US ice skater and bronze medalist Adam Rippon. In the video, Oakley learns some tricks on the ice and asks Rippon what it’s like to be the US’ first openly gay Winter Olympics athlete to win a medal. 

He also admitted his love for Soohorang, the beloved mascot of the 2018 Winter Olympics. 

Social experimentalist Jay of JAYKEEOUT also took to the PyeongChang streets to test locals on their English-speaking skills. Jay, who is fluent in Korean, put his foreigner hat on and asked PyeongChang locals for directions in English. Most appeared confused, but it’s heart-warming to see them try to help regardless. 

Style and lifestyle vloggers vamp up the Olympics

Trendy style and lifestyle vloggers sought to take fans around the “cool sights” in Gangwon Province.

Trendy fashionista Youtuber Yo’ Homegirl chilled out in Gangneung, where she admired the wooden sculptures from the Fire Arts Festa, indulged in dalkgalbi (spicy chicken and rice cakes) and hotteok (a honey-filled snack), and joked about seeing K-pop group BTS in real life. 

American YouTuber whitneybaeIRL also chronicled her PyeongChang bliss. She fan-girled out at the snow and ice events, froze in the cold, purchased some “Olympics swag merch,” and cheered on Korea and her native ’Murica at the games. 

Volunteers tell all

PyeongChang volunteers revealed behind-the-scenes secrets in cheeky vlogs. Quebecoise volunteer Stephanie Kirkham chronicled her first days at the Olympics, revealing the shared excitement of volunteers from abroad. 

Latvian volunteer Mareks Matisons shared a glimpse of the volunteer training camps at the Gangneung-Wonju National University campus in Gangnueng, Gangwon Province.