The Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 as a springboard to drive positive change across the host region and country

19 September 2024 – Long before the action on the snow and ice got under way, the Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (YOGOC) for Gangwon 2024 and the host region outlined their goals for driving positive change and social unity through the event, particularly in the areas of sport, culture and education. There was a desire to further and strengthen youth and sports programmes, public understanding of Olympism, socio-economic development, peace and collaboration, using the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) as a driver for these goals.

Several projects were at the heart of these ambitions and focused on engaging youth. A Volunteer Programme recruited 2,000 local young people to work in one of the four competition zones of PyeongChang, Gangneung, Jeongseon and Hoengseong, across the areas of athlete support, media management, sports management, event/ceremony protocol and regional guidance. Applications were open to people aged over 19 and based in the Republic of Korea.

The Let’s Play Winter Festival invited local youth to experience winter sports and K-culture during Gangwon 2024, engaging approximately 230,000 people. It was held at four different sites – one at each venue cluster – each with its own theme linked to the Games and, like all of the Gangwon 2024 sports competitions, was free of charge. Activities included sports demonstrations, live music, and interactive food and craft experiences.

Inspiring young athletes

Since Gangwon 2024, the PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation has continued to run various programmes to train and inspire young athletes at grassroots and elite levels – and has seen a “Gangwon effect” on participant numbers. Around 70 young people and 20 coaches from “Official Development Assistance” nations (developing countries as defined by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) took part in Hockey Together this summer. This programme was started by the Korean Ice Hockey Federation in 2018 with NHL coaches. This year, it was held in Gangneung for the first time, at the hockey venue for Gangwon 2024. Another 70 participants from Korea took part in the Play Winter Academy. For maximum impact, next year the two programmes will be combined. Eighteen elite young bobsleigh athletes from Korea, including seven who competed at Gangwon 2024, are enrolled in the New Horizons Academy, which will take them to the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) North American Cup in Whistler this winter. The academy aims for at least one of its athletes to qualify for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and aspires to expand into other winter sports.

Moving closer towards long-term regional and national ambitions

Thanks to PyeongChang 2018 and Gangwon 2024, the Republic of Korea has developed the tools and know-how to host modern sporting events of all sizes that bring together communities. With 270,000 spectators across the eight YOG venues, 230,000 people engaged in the ceremonies and festival sites, and, with over four million Koreans watching the Opening Ceremony on television, the impact of Gangwon 2024 extended beyond the host region.

For a country that ran a popular K-culture project for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, there’s a clear understanding of how Olympism can contribute to a dynamic economy and address social issues. The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism is hosting a “Korean season” in France this year, featuring 48 performances and events across the country, while there were K-culture showcases at Korea House during Paris 2024. Gangwon 2024 has helped the Republic of Korea move closer to its long-term national ambitions, particularly those concerning its new strategies around K-culture and addressing regional isolation among Koreans in rural areas, by piloting new activations and engaging so many people with the event.

K-pop performances featured heavily in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of Gangwon 2024, as well as the Let’s Play Winter Festival, promoting Korean culture locally and globally. Eight national arts and cultural organisations participated in various events throughout the YOG, with performances such as orchestral concerts, ballet, choir and opera presented to live and digital audiences.

Boosting the Republic of Korea’s profile as a tourist hub

Hosting Gangwon 2024 has had a positive impact internationally for the Republic of Korea, with the event reaching more than 190 territories via global media and contributing to an ambitious goal to exceed pre-pandemic tourist numbers.

Gangwon 2024 used digital media to reach wider audiences. Olympic Broadcasting Services produced 170 hours of live coverage, as well as highlights of every event and sport, while 22 Media Rights-Holders contributed to 3,200 hours of the YOG on air, watched by more than 135 million people, with coverage available in 11 languages on Olympics.com. There were a record-breaking more than 310 million engagements on Olympic social media handles.

In 2019, the Republic of Korea welcomed 17.5 million international tourists, which dropped to 3.2 million in 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of a national strategy to boost its appeal to international and domestic visitors, 2023 and 2024 were branded as “Visit Korea” years. In 2024, the country hopes to exceed pre-pandemic levels of tourism, with Gangwon 2024 viewed as an opportunity to get back on track and welcome a target of 20 million tourists.

Despite the event taking place during the low tourism season of January to February, 500,000 spectators visited the venues and festival sites, many from overseas. In January 2024, there were nearly 880,000 international arrivals in Korea – more than double the visitors from abroad in January 2023. For March to May 2024, the number of monthly international visitors had risen to between 1.4 and 1.5 million, compared to less than 900,000 for those months in 2023.

Gangwon 2024 also enhanced the Republic of Korea’s brand as an international business destination and event organiser, with high-quality services provided in transport, accommodation, ticket sales and festival sites. The friendly atmosphere, clean urban environment and efficient snow removal – despite the busy period of a multisport event – impressed visitors, supporting the Ministry’s goal of setting a global standard in sports event management.