Host city Pyeongchang kicked off the 2018 Winter Olympic Games with a spectacular opening ceremony that included a light show, colorful costumes, and fireworks. The Winter Games runs until February 25.
2018 Winter Olympics Open In South Korea
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Fireworks light up the sky above Pyeongchang Stadium on February 9 during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
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Performers replicate the South Korean flag during the opening ceremony.
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Following a spectacular firework show, more than 2,900 athletes from 92 nations marched into Pyeongchang Stadium.
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Dignitaries watch the opening ceremony. (left-right front) South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook, the U.S. vice president's wife, Karen Pence, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, (left-right back) Kim Yong Nam, North Korea's 90-year-old ceremonial head of state, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the German president's wife, Elke Buedenbender, and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
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Artists performed before an estimated crowd of 35,000 spectators.
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Children performing during the opening ceremony.
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Soohrang, the mascot of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games. The white tiger has long been considered a guardian creature in Korean history and culture.
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Performers wore hats and gloves to keep warm during the opening ceremony inside the Olympic Stadium where temperatures dropped to - 6 degrees Celsius.
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The opening ceremony was full of colorful performances.
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Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
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North and South Korean athletes entered the Olympic Stadium under a unified flag. It was carried by North Korean ice hockey player Hwang Chung Gum and South Korean bobsledder Won Yun-jong.
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President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, said in his opening ceremony speech: "We are stronger than all the forces that want to divide us."
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The opening ceremony for the 23rd Winter Olympics Games lasted two hours.
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Artists perform during the opening ceremony.
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The IOC President Thomas Bach said the opening ceremony showed unity and harmony with a "powerful message of peace."
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The Olympic torch being carried into the stadium. South Korean figure skater Yuna Kim lit the Olympic cauldron.
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Fireworks explode over Olympic flame during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.