Wednesday will mark 100 days until the 2018 Winter Olympics start in Pyeongchang but slow ticket sales and the political crisis between South and North Korea have cast a shadow on the build-up.
The snow has not yet started to fall in the sparsely populated Pyeongchang - in the north-east of the country - as preparations ramp up for the Games starting in February.
It will be the first time the Winter Games will be held in South Korea.
But not everyone is yet on board.
Ticket sales are slow, a political scandal surrounding former president Park Guen Hye rolled on and there are increased tensions in the peninsula with neighbours North Korea.
Various countries have expressed concern about the security situation in the country though the South Korean government insist visitors can expect a safe Games. And an ice skating pair from North Korea could even compete.
The organising committee hope to sell at least 90 per cent of the 1.17 million tickets available - including 70 per cent to South Koreans - but to mid-October sales were slow.
Only around a third had been bought with various reasons speculated to be behind the weak uptake.
In comparison to football or baseball, winter sport is not popular according to marketing professor Lee Seung Yun. And there is no home superstar highlighting the Games such as former figure skater Kum Yuna.
"Another reason is Pyeongchang is far from Seoul, the cultural centre," said Lee, who added that many South Koreans doubt the value of the Games.
On the other hand, the organising committee is optimistic that their PR-drive will pay off before the opening ceremony.
"We are confident that sales will pick up," spokeswoman Lee said. "We saw this at the previous mega events in South Korea, like the 2002 football World Cup, when more Koreans bought tickets the closer the event came."
In light of the conflict with North Korea, the government is trying to emphasise the value of the Games for peace in the region.
"This is a very important moment in time in which we can make a sign of peace," Do Jong Hwan, minister for culture, sport and tourism said.
