A composite view of Gangneung Olympic Park, which shows some of the venues for the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games (Photo by Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee)

"Grow Together, Shine Forever," the slogan of the 4th Winter Youth Olympic Games, is meant for both the Korean hosts and participants who are gearing up for the event that will be held in the northeastern province of Gangwon-do from January 19 through February 1.

Relatively new, the Youth Olympic Games kicked off in 2010. Jacques Rogge, the eighth president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), planned the Games, and the 2007 IOC General Assembly held in Guatemala officially approved them. The first Youth Olympic Games were held as the Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010. The first Winter Youth Olympics were held in Innsbruck, Austria, in 2012. The summer and the winter Youth Olympics are each held every four years.

Gangwon 2024 is all the more exciting for Korea, as it is the country’s third Olympic event. Korea hosted the Summer Games in Seoul in 1988 and the Winter Games in PyeongChang in 2018.

“We will create an Olympics that can be the pride of Korea. Korea has had the experience of hosting two Olympics successfully. As the organizing committee already has many experts who have participated in several international competitions, we will successfully hold this event based on their knowhow," said Jin Jong-oh, a four-time Olympic shooting gold medalist and the chairman of the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee.

Various K-pop concerts and meet-and-greet events with sports stars will be part of Gangwon 2024 to share friendship in addition to competition. Lee Kwan-pyo, head of the organizing committee's planning division, said, "We are preparing three K-pop performances before the competition, during the opening ceremony and during the event.”

For Gangwon 2024, the IOC has selected its first group of "athlete role models." It includes three Koreans – Won Yun-jong, a 4-man bobsleigh silver medalist at PyeongChang 2018; Kim Chang-min, a member of Korea’s winning team at the Pacific-Asia Curling Championship 2017; and Min Yu-ra, a Korean-American ice dancer. These role models will participate in educational activities and workshops, sharing their experience and knowhow.

"When young athletes first participate in the Olympics, they often get embarrassed because they don't know what to do or who to talk to. Gangwon 2024 will be a special experience for them to learn just by performing at the Olympic Games for their country,” Min said.

A map shows the venues and Youth Olympics Villages (YOV). (Photo by Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee)

Four regions of Gangwon-do – Gangneung City and the three counties of Pyeongchang, Jeongseon and Hoengseong – will provide a total of nine venues for the Games.

Gangneung Ice Arena is an indoor ice venue where figure skating and short track events will be held. (Photo by Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee)

Gangneung will offer four venues out of the nine, namely the Gangneung Ice Arena for figure skating and short-track events; Gangneung Oval, for indoor speed skating; Gangneung Ice Hockey Center; and Gangneung Curling Center.

Pyeongchang, the host of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, will reuse three venues for skiing and sliding events – the Alpensia Sliding Center, Alpensia Ski Jumping Center and Alpensia Biathlon Center located in the Alpensia Sports Park. Jeongseon and Hoengseong will provide one venue each.

The Olympic Village will be split with facilities in Gangneung and Jeongseon. Dormitories of Gangneung-Wonju National University will be used as the Youth Olympic Village Gangneung, and buildings F and G of High 1 Ski Resort Mountain Condominium at Jeongseon will be turned into the Youth Olympic Village High 1.

Photo of The Korea Time’s front page coverage of the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games (Photo by The Korea Times)

The opening ceremony will be held at the Gangneung Oval and PyeongChang Dome on January 19, while the closing ceremony will be at the Gangneung Ice Hockey Center on February 1.

"Our organizing committee members have experience hosting the Olympics and are working with IOC experts every week to review preparations for the Winter Youth Olympics," said Lee Jin-yeol, manager of the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee. "We are doing our utmost to meet the people's expectations and hope many become interested and participate."