Seoul Welcomes PyeongChang Countdown Milestone

(ATR) The countdown for the final year to the 2018 Winter Olympics is ticking for all to see in downtown Seoul.

The traditional Omega clock was unveiled at City Hall the day before the one year mark to the open of the Games in PyeongChang, three hours to the east of the capital city.

The christening included IOC member and PyeongChang coordination commission chair Gunilla Lindberg, PyeongChang 2018 president Hee Beom Lee and Omega chief executive Raynald Aeschlimann. Omega is an IOC worldwide sponsor, supplying timing and scoring services for the Olympics.

Lindberg tellsAround the Rings the event marked an important milestone in garnering enthusiasm for the Games.

"It is now one year to go; it is a symbol," Lindberg said. "Also, there is the launch of the ticket sales tomorrow. The Games will be promoted."

An Omega spokesperson confirmed to ATR that the Seoul clock will be the only one counting down until the 2018 Olympics. For the last Winter Games, Sochi received a countdown clock 1,000 days ahead of the Olympics and eight separate clocks were installed in major cities to mark the final year.

The clock unveiling is the first ceremony in two days of events designated to mark the year-out milestone. Tomorrow’s ceremonies include the launch of PyeongChang 2018 ticket sales, the unveiling of the 2018 Olympic torch, and an event at the Gangneung hockey arena.

In a scene highlighting the complex political situation dominating the country, the event took place steps away from an encampment of right-wing anti-impeachment protesters. South Korean President Park Geun Hye was impeached in December, which removed her from office temporarily. A constitutional court is currently hearing the case. If Park is removed from office, South Korea will hold elections within 60 days of the decision.

A liaison for the protesters told ATR earlier in the day that the camp had no plans to disrupt the countdown ceremony. The group stayed mostly true to its word, although protesters waving flags could be seen behind the stage, an only marginal intrusion of politics into the Olympic tableaux.

While organizers set up the countdown clock, the Games’ mascots Soohorang and Bandabi made an appearance in Seoul Plaza. While some passing by stopped to have a look, most of the evening rush hour commuters kept moving.

"I did not know about the event [later today]," Yang Tom Min, a 23 year-old student, told ATR. "Right now, [hosting the 2018 Games] is not very successful. The Games are not very famous and people don’t care."

President Lee told ATR after the event that "Koreans are now expecting a lot," of the Olympics, and organizers "will do more," to ensure its success. Lee did not address the ongoing political battles when asked if the ongoing trial of the President could prove a distraction and dampen national enthusiasm.

"All of the venue construction is already done," Lee said. "We are now having test events, and during the events all the participants mention the preparation of venues is almost perfect."

"We could see in the chef de mission meeting last week that interest in the Games is rising and hopefully we will have a lot of people coming," Lindberg said. "It will be much easier to get to when the train is ready and [running]. New highways have shortened the time to go there a lot. I’m sure people will come to watch the sports."

Written by Aaron Bauerin Seoul

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.