By Yun Suh-young
The upcoming PyeongChang Special Olympics will be an opportunity to promote Korean culture and tourism.
The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said Tuesday it will operate a promotional booth in the lobby of the convention center at the Alpensia Resort, one of the venues for the winter Games.
At the venue, various events will be offered to experience Korean culture through tea drinking and traditional paper (hanji) artwork on fans.
At the medical tourism booth, an Oriental medicine doctor will provide free consultations. Visitors can also receive a free hand acupuncture service.
A photo exhibition of participating athletes will be held.
The Special Olympics will be held in PyeongChang and Gangneung, Gangwon Province, from Jan. 29 through Feb. 5. The venues for the game will be the Alpensia and Yongpyong resorts, and Gangneung Ice Rink.
The KTO will offer a one-day tour program for the participating athletes and their families around Gangneung and PyeongChang. The tour includes the Charmsori Gramophone Edison Science Museum; Seongyojang, a traditional hanok residential area in Gangneung; and Woljeong Temple in PyeongChang.
K-pop as well as traditional music concerts will be held. In Hanwha Resort on Feb.3, K-pop stars U-Kiss, ZE:A and N-Train will perform.
Five of the concert halls in the region will hold various performances throughout the Olympic period including a ballet performance by a disabled ballerina, the show Nanta, and classical music performances.
There are about 2,000 athletes from 113 countries participating in the Special Olympics this year.
The tickets for the Special Olympics can be purchased through its committee’s website, www.2013sopoc.org, or https://ticket.interpark.com.