Marking 100 days until the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the Olympic flame has once again arrived on South Korean soil.
Over the coming months, 7,500 torchbearers will carry the flame 2,018 kilometers around South Korea before arriving at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on February 9.
Touring the stadiums, arenas and villages ear-marked for the Olympics, work is still ongoing, but officials say the construction itself is more than 99% complete and their message is undeniably upbeat.
But there is one very unique issue for a South Korean sporting event — its northern neighbor.
Security is a top concern for any Olympics, winter or summer, but with PyeongChang events happening roughly 80km away from North Korea, concerns are heightened.
Business as usual
An accelerated missile and nuclear testing regime and increased verbal animosity between the leaders of the US and North Korea have overshadowed what organizers were hoping would be a consistent buildup of excitement and anticipation for the Games.
They’re acutely aware that the way Pyongyang behaves from now until February could have a significant impact on the success of PyeongChang, but South Koreans have always managed to carry on regardless in the face of North Korean threats.
