Winter Olympics: It's all about Pyeongchang 2018

The torch has officially been passed to Pyeongchang, the host of the next winter games, but what do we know about 2018’s Olympic venue?

South Koreans celebrate being selected as 2018 Winter Olympic host city (Getty).

Pyeongchang may sound similar in name to the notorious North Korean capital Pyongyang, but it’s far from it.

The South Korean ski resort is located in the Gangwon province, a few hours’ drive from South Korea’s capital Seoul.

Alpensia resort in Pyeongchang, South Korea (Getty/AFP).

It’s situated close to the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea – the border has been heavily guarded since the Korean War ended in 1953.

Similar to Sochi, Pyeongchang is in a mountainous region not far from the coastline, but South Korean organisers are hoping this is as far as comparisons go.

A French athlete competes during a biathlon event in Pyeongchang (AAP/EPA).

Russia’s hefty Olympic price tag was allegedly above 50 billion dollars, but South Korea is hoping they can stay a bit more frugal – aiming to spend only nine billion dollars on the event.

A Dancer performs during the Pyeongchang 2018 presentation as part of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony (Getty).

Organisers say that out of the 13 Olympic venues, seven already exist in the region which will significantly lower their expenses.

They believe a big portion of the budget will be spent on transportation infrastructure upgrades.

This will be South Korea’s second time hosting the Olympic Games. They first hosted the Summer Olympics in 1988.

The country’s participation in the Winter Olympics dates back to 1948 where they made their debut in St. Moritz, Switzerland.  Since then, they’ve rose in the rankings to become a speed skating powerhouse.