Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics kicks off with vibrant opening ceremony

The Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics opened with a lively ceremony, featuring a play symbolizing dreams, performances by K-pop stars and words of encouragement from officials.

The Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics opening ceremony starts at Gangneung Oval in Gangneung, Gangwon on Friday. [YONHAP]

The Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics opening ceremony took place Friday at Gangneung Oval in Gangneung, Gangwon, marking a beginning of the long-awaited tournament that will see athletes from around the world compete in the region through Feb. 1.

The opening ceremony included a play in which a high school girl from Gangwon named “Woori,” played by actress Gong Ji-soo, sees her dreams come true. Woori meets ice goblins and receives a snowball — symbolizing her dream — from them, before she flies into space and later meets herself in the past.

Theater actress Gong Ji-soo performs a play during the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics opening ceremony held at Gangneung Oval in Gangneung, Gangwon on Friday. [YONHAP]

The play indicated that dream can come true, highlighting the idea that the athletes competing at this year’s Youth Games can achieve their goals in Gangwon.

Multiple K-pop stars also performed during the opening ceremony, with Ji Eun-ho from boy group LUN8 and Seo Da-hyun from girl group TripleS singing the Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics theme song “We Go High.”

Both LUN8 and TripleS also sang their own songs, followed by performances from rappers Ash Island and Changmo and pansori — a traditional form of Korean folk music — pop band Leenalchi.

President Yoon Suk Yeol also attended the opening ceremony and officially opened the Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics.

Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics Organizing Committee Co-chairperson Choi Jong-ku and President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach wished the athletes the best.

“Korea impressed the world in an unforgettable manner with the 1988 Seoul Olympics and 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics,” Choi said. “Korea has now opened a way again for young people around the world to grow and pursue their dreams through the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics.

"Dear athletes, I hope you follow the dreams that you grow on the snow and ice sheets here in Gangwon for the next two weeks.”

A total of 1,950 athletes from 79 countries will compete in the Games, with 81 medals on the line across 15 different events from through Feb. 1.

The closing ceremony will take place at Gangneung Olympic Park in Gangneung.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]