PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games Research Articles

How hosting a mega-event changes the emotional connection of spectators with destination brands: brand personality of the Olympics and South Korea

ABSTRACT This study examines the legacy of hosting a mega-event through the brand personality of the host nation and mega-event, using a longitudinal approach. Specifically, we investigated how spectator perceptions of the brand personality of South Korea and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games changed over time - before (T1), during (T2), and after the event (T3). The findings showed that the components of excitement, competence, and ruggedness in South Korea increased during the event (T2), but the traits of excitement and ruggedness were not sustained after the event (T3).

Resource Deployment in National Sport Organizations: Impacts of Event Hosting

Studies that focus on effective resource deployment in national sport organizations (NSO) have been limited. This study aims to understand how resources obtained by hosting a mega sport event can be used to advance the organizational capacity of NSOs. Deriving empirical evidence from the case of the Korea Ice Hockey Association following the awarding of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, we found that hosting sparked the provision of valuable resources used by the NSO to establish key capacities in the organization. Resources revealed in this study include: financial, stakeholder network, informational/knowledge assistance, and physical infrastructure. The NSO’s improved capacities include financial capital, leadership and specialized staff, strategic plans, international and domestic network, and global standards. A roadmap for officials and managers in event-hosting countries who aim to heighten their organizations’ capacities for successful hosting is also provided.

Sino-futurism and alternative imaginaries of Digital China

This paper investigates the role of digital technologies in transforming China's self-image. It focuses on the use of extended reality (XR) in ceremonial events and art exhibitions. The paper offers two case studies. The first study, Beijing 8-Minute Show (2018), a multimedia performance at the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games, set the scene for what was called the Science and Technology Winter Olympics in 2022. The second study, Blueprints (2020), was a multimedia exhibition in the UK by the artist Cao Fei, which drew attention to a future of increased alienation, loss of privacy and digital surveillance. In the paper, the framework of a ‘techno-cultural imaginary’ shows how China's self-image is increasingly tied to modernisation. The paper demonstrates how the ‘two cultures’, science and the arts, have converged in policy thinking. In this reset, China's so-called cultural confidence is re-energised by digital platforms, echoing the description of Digital China. Sino-futurism, originally used in relation to Chinese sci-fi literature, provides a stepping-off point to imagine the future, which is alternatively characterised as techno-utopian (within China) and dystopian (in the West). Drawing on the qualitative analysis of publicly available interviews, media reports, online comments and close reading of the art content, the paper argues that XR allows the government to present Digital China as a positive blueprint for human progress. Meanwhile, XR is capable of generating critical stories about China, which contradict the message the government seeks to cultivate with its public diplomacy and propaganda campaigns.

Peace as a techno-futurist fantasy: interpreting the opening ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics

ABSTRACT South Korea hosted the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games nearly 30 years after the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympic Games and almost 16 after the 2002 Korea/Japan FIFA World Cup. The national narrative of these sporting mega-events shifted from a grand display of industrial triumph during the Seoul Olympics to the celebration of a global nation during the World Cup to a nation of cutting-edge technology during the PyeongChang Olympics. The Opening Ceremonies of the PyeongChang Olympics were planned to showcase South Korea’s hallyu cultural juggernaut and technological prowess. Just a month prior to the start of the Games, a delegation from North Korea agreed to compete, thereby changing the narrative of the show. The planned story line shifted to include the idea of reunification not as an urgent matter of the present, but as a techno-futurist fantasy of world peace. While the Olympic leadership fawned over this hopeful display of détente through sport, the joint appearance failed to garner a great deal of excitement in South Korea given the failure of decades of cultural interactions to bring the two countries closer together. Nevertheless, the presence of North Koreans created a level of interest that added an element of historical and political curiosity otherwise missing from an overwrought program that lacked spontaneity. Thus, ironically, the presence of the North Korean delegation worked to improve the overall storyline by offering a dramatic depiction of a technologically mediated future free of conflict.

The Perception of the Unified South-North Korean Women’s Ice Hockey Team for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games among Young Adults in South Korea

The purpose of this study was to investigate Korean young adults’ perceptions about the formation process of North and South Korean unified women’s ice hockey team for 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in South Korea. Q-method was used to analyze perceptions about the formation process of the unified ice hockey team. Q-statements were distributed to 42 people in their 20s and 30s in Seoul, South Korea. Distribution of Q-statements was analyzed using Qunal program. We found three types of perception: 1) athletic sacrifice forcing type, a recognition that the formation process of the unified ice hockey team was used for political purpose and a promotional tool for the Olympic Games; 2) inter-Korean exchange development type, a conception that the unified ice hockey team positively contributed to the promotion of exchange of North and South Korea, economic cooperation, peace, and harmony; and 3) political purposes pursuit type, a perception that the formation of the unified ice hockey team was primarily used to achieve political and diplomatic goals and that the media mainly conveyed positive aspect of the unified team for this purpose. The use of sports for political and diplomatic purpose is likely to increase in the future. Perception types among Korean adults in their 20s and 30s are likely to be mixed in the future. Therefore, it is important to promote consensus among Koreans regarding the formation of a South and North Korean unified team in the future.

Mega Sport Event Volunteers: Understanding the Role of Space in Social Capital Development at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games

This study explores the process of social capital development and the influence of space that leads to the formation of different types of social capital among mega sport event volunteers. A qualitative approach was utilized to ensure the collection of in-depth data on participants’ subjective volunteering experience and its relation to the creation of social capital. Findings revealed the development of social capital by the volunteers both in and out of event venues, which are defined as event related and peripheral spaces. The process of developing network through bridging was attributed to the proclivity of peripheral spaces to provide proximity and composition necessary to build and enrich interactions, while bonding was the primary mechanism to associate with others on event-related places.

The Olympics, nationalism, and multiculturalism: News coverage of naturalized players in the Korean men’s national ice hockey team

The naturalization of athletes for the purpose of participating in the Olympics is a noticeable feature of today's superdiverse sporting contexts. Focusing on the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, in this paper, I explore how North American-born male ice hockey players who have become naturalized into South Korea are reproduced in media coverage of Canada and South Korea. Applying insights from critical discourse studies, transnationalism, and critical multiculturalism, I specifically examine how each country re/forms its own imagined community through these transnational sporting migrants and the ways that concepts of immigration, citizenship, whiteness, masculinity, and multiculturalism are linked, fused, and/or conflicted within it. Analysis suggests that in both countries, the hockey migrants have been illuminated as new national symbols enhancing the multicultural national brand of each country, whether as immigrants or emigrants, solidifying in the process the hegemonic position of whiteness as a global phenomenon beyond the West.

Patriot, Expert, or Complainer? Exploring How Athletes Express Themselves at Olympic Games’ Press Conferences

Abstract: Media coverage of the Winter Olympic Games provides an invaluable opportunity for athletes to promote themselves to a global audience that otherwise would not be reached through regular calendar events. An important element of athlete promotion occurs during press conferences when athletes speak to global media after winning a medal. The purpose of this study was to investigate how Olympic medalists presented themselves in front of the media after achieving Olympic success. A thematic analysis was conducted using press conference transcripts from 307 Olympic medalists during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. The results indicated that athletes were likely to use media opportunities to self-promote their achievements, share secrets and stories, exhibit gratefulness, protest, show patriotism, and provide expert opinion. Overall, six categories of self-presentation were identified and discussed. Practical and theoretical implications are offered throughout, including a contribution to self-presentation theory and suggestions for athlete media literacy training.

Analysis of Pacing Behaviors on Mass Start Speed Skating.

The mass start speed skating (MSSS) is a new event for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. Considering that the event rankings were based on points gained on laps, it is worthwhile to investigate the pacing behaviors on each lap that directly influence the skater’s ranking at the end of the race. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the pacing behavior on the MSSS. The aim of this study was to analyze the pacing behaviors and performance on MSSS regarding skaters’ level (SL), competition stage (semi-final/final) (CS), and gender (G). All the male and female races in the World Cup and World Championships were analyzed during the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 seasons. As a result, a total of 601 skaters (male = 350 and female = 251) from 36 games (male = 21 and female = 15) were observed. The one-way ANOVA for repeated measures was used to compare skaters’ pacing behavior on each lap, and the three-way ANOVA for repeated measures was used to identify the influence of SL, CS, and G on skaters’ pacing behaviors and total time spent. In general, the results showed that the pacing behaviors from fast to slow were group one (laps 4, 8, 12, 15, 16), group two (laps 5, 9, 13, 14), group three (laps 3, 6, 7, 10, 11), and group four (laps 1 and 2) (p ≤ 0.001 for all groups). For CS, the total time spent in the final was less than the semi-final (p ≤ 0.001). For SL, top-level skaters spent less total time than the middle-level and low-level skaters (p ≤ 0.002), while there was no significant difference between the middle and low levels (p = 0.214). For G, the male skaters spent less total time than females on all laps (p ≤ 0.048). Current findings could help coaching staff to better understand the pacing behaviors regarding SL, CS, and G. In particular, the identified performance trends may allow controlling for pacing strategy and decision making before and during the race.

Effects of the Olympic Announcement and the Actual Event on Property Values: The Case of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games

This study investigates the effects of the Olympic announcement and the actual event on property values in the host region using the case of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. We collected Korean government-issued apartment transaction data in the host city, Gangneung, and other cities. We performed propensity score matching to generate a suitable control group compared to units in Gangneung and exploited difference-in-difference analyses to test the impact of the announcement and the actual event separately. The results show that the Olympic announcement increased property values in Gangneung by 5.5% compared to propensity-matched units, and the effects are mostly shown in units in downtown Gangneung. Units close to the KTX station and the Olympic arena observed additional increases in housing prices. During the actual Olympic event, property values in Gangneung increased by 8.3% after the KTX station opened, but the actual event period and Athletes’ Village opening did not generate additional effects. The additional increases in housing prices close to the opening of the KTX station were found for units close to the KTX station, the Olympic arena, and Athletes’ Village.

Exploring volunteer engagement in a mega sport events: the role of functional attitudes

ABSTRACT Research Questions Primary research questions include: (1) What are the salient attitudes of volunteers that influence their engagement intention and (2) Do extra-role behaviors and emotional attachment mediate their relationship with the event? Methods We used a face-to-face survey design and collected 271 use cases from volunteers recruited during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. Results and Findings The results of structural equation modeling indicate that value-expressive and social adjustive attitudes were positively correlated with extra-role behavior. Value-expressive, utilitarian, and knowledge showed a significantly positive effect on emotional attachment. Furthermore, emotional attachment and extra-role behavior played a significant mediator role in explaining the relationships between functional attitudes and volunteer engagement. Implications The results shed light on volunteer literature through an extended understanding of functional attitude theory in the context of volunteer engagement. Sport managers could use the findings to clearly understand relevant volunteers’ attitudes to predict their extra-role behavior and future volunteering intention. Such efforts allow managers to carefully articulate promotional message when recruiting volunteers.

Gender Representation at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games From an Australian Broadcast Perspective

This study examined differences in the Seven Network’s primetime coverage of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games on all of its channels. Over 102 hr of total coverage was analyzed for clock time, name mentions, and the descriptions of athletes by announcers divided by gender. Results found that male athletes received the bulk of the clock time; 13 of the top 20 most-mentioned athletes were men. There were also gender differences in the word for word descriptors of success, failure, physicality, and personality. From a theoretical perspective, results found the framing of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games to favor male Olympians. The top three sports that were broadcast featuring women were ice hockey, freestyle skiing, and snowboarding, which differs from other studies in this line of scholarship, so differences in the sports covered in the Australian context provides a unique context to study the Winter Olympics. Theoretical and practical implications are provided.

Effects of ICTs in mega events on national image formation: the case of PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in South Korea

大型活动中的信息通信技术对国家形象形成的影响：以韩国平昌冬奥会为例研究目的现实促进技术和智能旅游技术在各种 ICT中被广泛应用来直接或间接支持大型活动的。基于光环效应, 这项研究解释了对大型活动中使用的 ICT 的满意度, 国家形象, 活动参与者未来行为之间的联系。研究设计/方法/途径分析的数据包括 246 位在2018 年冬季奥运会访问平昌的外国游客。研究发现结果表明, 现实促进技术和智慧旅游技术通过直接或者间接方式接通过交易满意度影响整体体验满意度。此外, 研究发现两种类型的满意度均对东道国的国家形象形成产生积极影响, 从而对吸引未来访客的有正面影响。研究原创性/价值通过聚焦来平昌参加奥运会的游客, 本研究旨在探索信息通信技术在大型活动中的两种不同作用。本研究的原创性在于试图检验游客在大型活动中基于 ICT 的体验满意度对形成对东道国正面的国家形象的机制。

The Development of Green Olympic Games: A Comparison of CO2 Emission Reduction Strategies between PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022

The Olympic Games are striking a balance between economic and ecological benefits. Taking the 5 ice event venues of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games as the research object, the CO2 emissions under the 2018 PyeongChang Low-carbon scenario and 2022 Beijing Low-carbon scenario are compared. The empirical results show that, in terms of venue operation, the Beijing strategies can reduce CO2 emissions by 715.7 t compared with the PyeongChang strategies. In terms of the refrigerant escape, Beijing's adoption of CO2 refrigerant can reduce the emission of CO2 by 1202.2 t compared with the R404 refrigerant used in PyeongChang. This paper confirms the progress of the Green Winter Olympic Games, and may provide implications for the future host countries as well as the cities which in the green transformation.

Summon the American Television Heroes: Nationalism in NBC’s Primetime Television Broadcast of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games

The National Broadcasting Company’s (NBC) primetime broadcast of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics over 18 nights was analyzed to determine differences between the network’s treatment of U.S. and non-U.S. Olympians. Consistent with previous findings, an American athlete was the most mentioned athlete, and Americans composed the majority of the Top 20 most mentioned athletes. In contrast to previous findings, American athletes accounted for only 38.68% of the mentions, the lowest amount recorded since studies began with the 1996 Games. In addition, a sport-by-sport analysis revealed that an American was the most mentioned athlete in 8 of the 15 winter sports, and Americans received more mentions in 4 winter sports. Regarding descriptions ascribed to the Olympians, American athletes were more likely to be portrayed as succeeding due to superior concentration, composure, and commitment, while non-Americans were more likely to be portrayed as failing due to a lack of concentration, strength, and ability. Non-Americans were also more likely to be described as modest/introverted. Contextualization of these findings is provided.

Urbanization effect of mega sporting events using sentinel-2 satellite images: The case of the pyeongchang olympics

This study attempts to understand the impact of mega sporting events on local economies by identifying and comparing the urbanization and economic effects of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games. However, for an accurate evaluation of the effects of hosting the Winter Olympics, it is necessary to consider not only the ripple effect on the local economy but also the increased potential for urban growth from the expansion of social overhead capital. This study calculates the urbanization index and land cover ratio using Sentinel-2 satellite images to examine the urbanization from infrastructure construction for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. It additionally analyzes the changes in land price and tax revenue during this period to understand the economic effects of the Olympics, and verifies the correlation between urbanization and economic indicators. The study is unique in that it analyzes the impact of a national event on local communities using satellite image data and presents a comprehensive methodology to understand urban sustainability by monitoring urban changes.

Ice Dancing to Arirang in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games: The Intersection of Music, Identity, and Sport

This cultural-interpretive essay offers critical commentary on Koreanness, racial ideology, hegemonic racial power, and racialized cultural taste with the aim of interpreting the sport–music nexus by examining a case of the interface between music and sport: The authors focus on the case of the Olympic ice dance that the South Korean team performed for the Korean traditional folk songArirangat the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. The authors argue that music and sport can be understood as a semiological system that shapes non-Whites’ ideological belief system. In addition, this essay engages with a discussion of cultural classification that often racializes skaters of color as the aforementioned are informed by Orientalism.

Striking the Balance: The Portrayal of Male and Female Athletes on NBC’s Primetime Television Broadcast of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games

All 63.5 hours of NBC’s 2018 primetime Winter Olympic broadcast from PyeongChang were analyzed to determine differences between the network’s treatment of male and female athletes. For the first time in any Winter Olympiad studied, women received more athlete mentions than men and women accounted for the majority of the most mentioned athletes. A woman was the most mentioned athlete, the first time this finding has appeared on an NBC Winter Olympic broadcast. When individual sports were examined, however, men received more mentions in nine of the 15 winter sports, and a male was the most mentioned athlete in 10 winter sports. Analysis of NBC announcer dialogues revealed significant differences in only three areas, differing from past findings in previously studied Olympiads. Longitudinal context is articulated.

메가이벤트 개최 국가의 브랜드 자산의 구성요소와 관여도 및 친숙도의 관계: 2018 평창 동계올림픽의 사례로

This study examines the brand equity of South Korea as a hosting country of a mega event, 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, analyzing the influence of brand salience, image, and quality to loyalty from the lens of U.S. residents. Additionally, the effect of involvement in the Winter Olympics and familiarity with South Korea to the relationship of brand equity dimensions were investigated as moderators. The data were collected from Amazon Mechanical Turk - choosing the participants’ country of residents to the U.S. only to examine the U.S. market’s perspective. A total of 195 cases were analyzed using Structure Equation Modeling. The result indicated that brand image and brand quality had significant influence, while brand salience did not have a significant influence. There was only a significant moderator effect of familiarity on the relationship between brand salience and brand loyalty. Theoretical contributions are discussed and industry-relevant suggestions are provided.

Content Strategy and Fan Engagement in Social Media The Case of PyeongChang Winter Olympic And Paralympic Games

Content Strategy and Fan Engagement in Social Media The Case of PyeongChang Winter Olympic And Paralympic Games