The PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games are now officially over after the Paralympics came to an end on Sunday with a festive closing ceremony.
Our Cha Sang-mi was there and filed this report.
Following up on the success of the PyeongChang Olympics, the 2018 Winter Paralympics capped off 10 days of competition on Sunday night with a memorable final ceremony.
"The closing ceremony was held under the theme "We Move the World," which represents the expansion of this enthusiam from Korea to the world. Spectators began streaming into the Olympic Plaza hours in advance of the closing ceremony. The atmosphere was exciting but also bittersweet as the end of a global celebration."
"It's been two months since I came to Pyeongchang for this position in the transportation department. I'm so glad the Games came to an end successfully, but it's also kind of a pity that it's all over now."
"It was very exciting and very inspiring, just to see the athletes really going up there and giving it their all, and actually just fighting through all of their personal struggles and taking home some medals."
Along with the official event, three cultural performances took place with K-Pop stars, including Korean-American singer-songwriter Ailee, and other musicians -- some of whom have disabilities, such as Ko Ah-ra, a ballerina who has a hearing impairment.
Apart from the glamor of the performances, the President of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons, in his speech, paid tribute to the late British scientist Stephen Hawking who died on Wednesday.
He noted that Hawking served as a role model for many people with disabilities worldwide.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and First Lady Kim Jung-sook, who have been cheering along with the crowd at many of the Paralympic games, also joined the closing ceremony.
The organizers were extra helpful on site, preparing many facilities and services to help spectators with disabilities, such as braille leaflets and on-screen sign language interpreters, as well as at least three-hundred handicapped-accessible seats.
The Olympic flame was extinguished, marking the official end of the PyeongChang Games... and looking ahead to the next Paralympics to take place in 2022 in Beijing.
Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News, PyeongChang.
