Messages of Hope and Peace at Opening Ceremony

On Friday evening, I attended the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Olympics. Not only did the Opening Ceremony mark the beginning of the Games but was also a celebration of Korean culture. The two-hour program was absolutely spectacular. According to the official PyeongChang 2018, “Opening Ceremony Director SONG Seung-hwan (KOR) expanded on his vision for the Ceremony. “The intention was to show the past, present and future of Korea,” Song explained of the opening acts. “The inspiration was the murals of the Goguryeo Tombs, some of which are in North Korea, some in South Korea, displaying legendary animals and dancers.” Behind each seat was a short pole with LED lights which resulted in customized lighting effects. The dances were beautifully choreographed and the costumes were amazing. It was also exciting to watch Team USA march out in their $2,500 heated Ralph Lauren jackets to ‘Gangnam Style’. Prior to the commencement of the ceremony I noticed that the North Koreans had a section all to themselves and those seated there were all wearing the same outfit, waving North Korean flags and cheering in unison. The most moving part of the ceremony was when the North and South Koreans entered under the unified flag.  Overall, the ceremony sent a message of hope and peace and I feel very fortunate to have been able to witness it in person. (I am also thankful that it wasn’t as cold as it has been other evenings!)