The Pyeongchang Winter Olympics concluded Sunday evening in South Korea. The closing ceremony saw fewer athletes than the opening event 17 days ago — some Olympians have already gone home — but didn't skimp on pageantry, K-pop and expressions of hope for peace between the two Koreas.
Ivanka Trump, daughter of the U.S. president, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in sat near a visiting North Korean general, Kim Yong Chol, believed to be a former spy chief, whose delegation had earlier been met with a sit-in by conservative South Korean lawmakers near the border crossing.
"Although parting is sad, we will remember Pyeongchang with beautiful memories. Athletes, you are true champions," said Lee Hee-beom, the Pyeongchang Olympics organizing committee president. "The seed of peace you have planted here in Pyeongchang will grow as a big tree in the not-distant future. The hope and aspirations of South and North Korean athletes together with cheerleaders will definitely serve as a cornerstone of the unification of the Korean Peninsula."
Thomas Bach, the head of the International Olympic Committee, said North and South Korea "have shown how sport brings people together in our very fragile world. You have shown how sport builds bridges."
With the Olympic flame extinguished in Pyeongchang, the torch has been passed to Beijing. In 2022, the Chinese capital will host the next Winter Games. In the meantime, we have the Summer Olympics to look forward to in Tokyo in 2020.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
Corrected: February 25, 2018 at 12:00 AM EST
A caption in a previous version of this story described Lindsey Vonn as a gold medalist. Although she won a gold medal in a previous Olympics, she took home bronze in Pyeongchang.
This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members —
listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.
We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a
community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.
Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are
building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.
Northwestern, Brown, Rutgers and University of Minnesota are among the handful of schools that have reached agreements with student protesters. Here's how they did it, and what could come next.
The high-stakes legal battle could determine the future of the popular app in the U.S. TikTok's legal filing calls the ban law an unprecedented violation of First Amendment rights.
Katy Perry and Rihanna weren't at the Met Gala on Monday night, despite the viral AI-generated photos showing them on the red carpet. Here are some tips for recognizing and investigating deep fakes.