Olympics Olympic Villages open to athletes

National flags of Pyeongchang Olympic participants flutter in the wind at the official opening of the Gangneung Olympic Village, Thursday./ Yonhap

By Lee Suh-yoon

The Olympic Village has it all.

Equipped with everything from nail salons to an acupuncture clinic, the PyeongChang Olympic Village had a grand opening ceremony Thursday.

Due to logistical issues, 2,900 athletes from over 90 countries will stay at two different Olympic villages. Athletes competing in alpine events will stay at the PyeongChang Olympic Village and those competing on ice rinks will be at the Gangneung Olympic Village.

Gangwon Province Governor Choi Moon-soon, key government officials and members of the national Olympic committee attended the opening ceremony.

Nearly 500 athletes from the United States and Japan checked in at the villages on Thursday. Thirty-two North Korean athletes also arrived at Gangneung Olympic Village in the evening. Among South Korean athletes, the alpine and cross-country skiers have moved in so far.

Construction of the two Olympic villages started in July 2015 and finished in mid-December last year. Pyeongchang Olympic Village cost 180 billion won ($167.4 million) to build and is comprised of eight fifteen-story buildings to accommodate 3,894 people. Gangneung Olympic Village cost 214 billion won ($199.6 million) to build and has nine buildings varying between 22 and 25 stories high and can house 2,902. Two athletes share rooms that are spacious and clean with simple, modern bathrooms.

Other facilities include banks, a post office, travel agencies, recreation centers, gyms, prayer rooms and even an X-ray security check area with airport check-in machines for athletes who want to save departure time at the airport. The Olympic village is literally a small standalone city.

For the first time in Olympic history, there is also on-site medical staff licensed in traditional Korean medicine. Athletes wishing for faster recovery now have access to acupuncture treatments.

The cafeteria -- open four times a day -- provides free buffets with 450 different dishes, including traditional delicacies from Gangwon Province. The buffets accommodate various dietary restrictions by offering halal, kosher and vegetarian options.

Korean food options at the Olympic Villages are all made with local ingredients. To cover possible food poisoning incidents, a mobile clinic provides immediate check-ups in front of the dining area.

The games will overlap with the Lunar New Year holiday, one of the most important holidays in Korea, from Feb. 15 through 17. In order to give athletes the chance to partake in the holiday celebrations, various cultural events such as trying on Korean traditional clothes will be held. There will also be two to three events hosted by the culture center every day.