[PyeongChang 2018] Organizers in final stage of preparations to welcome guests

With just over a month until the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, organizers in Gangwon Province are in the final stage of preparations for the event.

Venues for the PyeongChang Olympics are located across three cities in the province -- PyeongChang, Gangneung and Jeongseon.

With heavy snow fall and freezing temperatures expected throughout the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the province’s interagency task force is prepared for snow-removal operations on roads in cooperation with local city and provincial governments.

The task force was launched in March last year to deal with snow-related emergencies during the Olympics. It has increased the snow removal capacity for Gangwon Province’s highways and roads, with teams in three shifts on standby. Nearly 500 personnel and 462 snow equipment are in place, while the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is providing 77 snow plows and other necessary tools, according to the task force. 

PyeongChang’s inner city roads that total 15.3 kilometers will also be monitored by Korea Expressway Corp. to clear snow and ice.

During the Olympics, a set of broad measures will be enforced by police to curb crimes, according to the National Police Agency and the Justice Ministry.

Police investigators and immigration officials will step up patrols and inspections in seven major areas near Olympic venues, including the Olympic Plaza in PyeongChang and the Gyeongpodae area in Gangneung, to eliminate any potential criminal activities.

The two agencies will also share information to monitor the stay of foreign visitors and crack down on illegal entries as part of efforts to protect athletes and tourists.

In addition to snow removal and patrols, the PyeongChang Organizing Committee recruited nearly 25,000 volunteers for the Olympics and Paralympics to help organize the games, the committee said.

Choi Moon-soon, governor of Gangwon Province, said the province is also cracking down on overpriced accommodations ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, to boost ticket sales for the games.

The international sports event is scheduled to be held from Feb. 9 to 25. It will host 102 events across 15 different sports at 13 venues in the province.

The PyeongChang Winter Olympics is the country’s first Winter Games and its second Olympics, following the 1988 Summer Games that took place in Seoul.

By Bak Se-hwan (sh@heraldcorp.com)