(ATR) Dueling protests, bitter cold and ticketless spectators dominate a scene not seen inside the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium.
As the world celebrated the opening of the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, numerous protests went on outside the Olympic stadium and non-ticket holders found ways to celebrate.
"This is Korea’s first Winter Games, and this is the Olympics, the world’s best festival," Byeong Hun Im, said to Around the Rings. "I can see every man, woman, children and people from around the world from [the excitement on] their face makes me excited."
Im, who traveled from Seoul to attend the ceremony, couldn’t contain his excitement for the Games. He asked "why not" when asked if a unified Korean team was a wise choice for PyeongChang 2018.
Only half a mile away, two demonstrations showed the divided nature of South Koreans on the matter.
A large protest by the group "patriots for Korea," aimed to highlight atrocities of the ruling Kim family in North Korea. The 50 or so protestors had South Korean, Israeli and United States flags. The group distributed statements to passersby and reportedly burned paper with the North Korean flag.
Across the street, a much smaller protest went on aimed for pro-unification Koreans. The protest criticized US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for being "warmongers".
Caught up in the hubbub were many foreign fans. A number of Russian fans were in PyeongChang to cheer on the Olympic Athletes from Russia delegation. Adorned with Russian flags and face paint, the fans were enthusiastic but reluctant to talk to journalists about the situation.
Scattered around the venue were foreign fans who came to PyeongChang without tickets for the opening ceremony. Ahead of the ceremonies, PyeongChang organizers said "emergency measures" would be deployed to help sell out expensive tickets.
David Evangelista said to ATR he traveled 18 hours from New York to reach the Games. He waited outside the opening ceremony in an attempt to snag a last minute ticket, but wasn’t confident.
"They want big money [for a ticket]," Evangelista said. "This is my first [Olympics]. I’m going to watch my niece in ladies snowcross."
After the ceremony began, those in the area began filtering into restaurants to watch the ceremony. The restaurant ATR attended was full by the time the parade of nations began. The unified Korean team drew rapturous attention and even some applause.
#Korea has marched into #PyeongChang2018 #openingceremony pic.twitter.com/rRg2MwzwQa
— aaron bauer (@ABauer_ATR) February 9, 2018Even the Olympics Opening Ceremony could not escape the political posturing that has consumed the backstory of these Games. During the entrance of the unified team, South Korean President Jae In Moon reached up to shake the hand of North Korean head of state Jong Nam Kim and sister of North Korea’s leader Yo Jong Kim. United States Vice President Mike Pence, in town to lead the U.S. delegation, avoided all contact with the North Korean delegation, snubbing evening witnessing the historic handshake.North Korean defector Seongmin Lee told ATR that "it was just incredible" when the unified Korean team entered the Olympic stadium. Still, the realities of the situation cannot be ignored even during a poignant moment.
"It's just incredible to see these divided Koreas entering the Olympic stadium together under the same flag; I just imagined it in a picture of unified Korea in the future," Lee said to ATR.
"[However] what is unfolding at the Olympic site is more or less a political drama for both sides to use the occasion to their political necessities. Of course it all seems done just for peace and unity, but behind closed door in Pyongyang this may not be necessarily be the case, I believe. So many examples of inter-Korean history has already proved it enough."
Reported on the scene by Aaron Bauer in PyeongChang.
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