IOC member Ryu Seung Min (left), IOC President Thomas Bach (center) and President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee Lee Kee-Heung pose for a photo at a soiree hosted by Korea House, in Gangneung on Feb. 13.
By Kang Gahui and Lee Hana
Photos = Korean Sport & Olympic Committee
At a soiree hosted by Korea House in Gangneung on Feb. 13, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach praised the PyeongChang Olympics Opening Ceremony and the strong message it sent to the world.
“All of you here should be proud of PyeongChang’s successful opening. You deserve to enjoy yourselves tonight,” he said.
Bach recalled how the joint entrance of the two Koreas, and the inter-Korean women’s ice hockey team, moved audiences around the world. “All of these factors that demonstrate the Olympic spirit will surely bring peace to the Korean Peninsula,” he said.
In addition to Bach, the soiree was attended by over 180 guests, including PyeongChang Organizing Committee President Lee Hee-beom, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jongwhan, Chair of the IOC Ethics Commission Ban Ki-moon, and President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee Lee Kee-Heung.
All those in attendance congratulated the PyeongChang organizers for successfully launching the Winter Games.
Minister Do raised a toast to PyeongChang, noting how pyeong means peace and that chang means prosperity.
Performers in LED Hanbok costumes dance for the guests during a dinner hosted by Korea House, in Gangneung on Feb. 13.
(From left) President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee Lee Kee-Heung, Chair of the IOC Ethics Commission Ban Ki-moon, IOC President Thomas Bach, PyeongChang Organizing Committee President Lee Hee-beom and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jongwhan attend a soiree hosted by Korea House, in Gangneung on Feb. 13.
