Mixing a divided nation’s culture, symbols of peace and, yes, plenty of thumping K-pop beats (including Korean singer Psy’s mega-hit “Gangnam Style), this country formally welcomed the world to the 2018 Winter Olympics, kicking off the next three weeks of competition here.
The night started with a quiet handshake between South Korean president Moon Jae-In and Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Then came an flash of fireworks — red, orange and yellow — all around the 35,000-seat stadium. The night ended with two members of Korea’s unified women’s hockey team passing the torch to champion figure skater Yuna Kim to light the Olympic Flame.