- 2023 Winter Korea Festival Day celebration on January 19

- Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism attends to wish for successful staging of the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games and to promote the designation of 2023-2024 as Visit Korea Year

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister PARK Bo Gyoon) organized the 2023 Winter Korea Festival Day celebration in collaboration with Korea Tourism Organization (President KIM Jang-sil) and the Gnagwon provincial government (Governor KIM Jin-tae) at Yongpyong Resort outdoor stage on January 19 (5PM).

This celebration was designed to highlight the international sporting events, which had been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, have resumed to welcome winter sport enthusiasts from overseas, show support for the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games (Gangwon 2024) scheduled to be held in about a year, and promote Visit Korea Year 2023-2024 to encourage more tourists to come. Gangwon 2024 will be the first Winter Youth Olympic Games to be held in Asia. It will take place at different locations across Gangwon province, including Gangneung, PyeongChang, Jeongseon, and Hoengseong, from January 19 to February 1, 2024. At the celebration, Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism CHO Yong-man welcomed visitors and invited them to explore Korea’s winter sport destinations and cultural scene. He also shared the government’s efforts to make Gangwon 2024 a success.

The celebration began with the lighting of cheongsachorong (traditional Korean lanterns with a red-and-blue shade) and skiers with torchlights flying down the white slope, followed by performances by Ailee and other famous K-pop singers to celebrate K-culture and add to the air of festivity.

Over 300 tourists from abroad participated in the winter sport tourism program, which included this celebration in the itinerary, designed jointly by MCST and KTO. The two organizations plan to attract 4,000 international tourists in total by March 2023. To this end, MCST, KTO, and Gangwon province organized a familiarization tour (January 15-20), through which the invited representatives of Malaysia’s travel agencies and press organizations visited major attractions and did some skiing in the province while also meeting with Korean travel agencies.

 Symbols of the Olympics Revealed

Honorary Ambassador KIM Yuna Visiting to Encourage the Athletes

National Athlete in Breaking KIM Ye-ri Appointed Second Honorary Ambassador

During the celebration, the mascot and theme song of Gangwon 2024 were revealed. A prize contest targeting students and young adults (aged 14-24) was held to collect ideas for the mascot and theme song. The screened ideas were modified and supplemented jointly by experts in the field, the Organising Committee for the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and contest winners.

Over 60 young contestants from Korea and beyond, including PARK Su-yeon (winner of the mascot contest) and KIM Geun-hak (winner of the theme song contest), showcased unique, brilliant ideas.

KIM Yuna, the honorary ambassador of Gangwon 2024, visited the site to encourage the athletes and express her wish for the event’s successful staging. Korea’s first national athlete in breaking KIM Ye-ri was appointed the second honorary ambassador. KIM was the bronze medalist in breakdancing  at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games held in Buenos Aires.

Vice Minister CHO Yong-man stated, “Gangwon 2024 is held for youth, and, as is reflected in its slogan (Grow Together, Shine Forever), it will serve as a platform upon which young athletes are inspired to perform better and achieve growth together.”