Welcoming Guests

[Anchor Lead]

In Gangneung, Gangwon-do Province, where the ice sports events will be held during the PyeongChang Olympic Games, local merchants are gearing up for the influx of visitors. For the visitors themselves, heartwarming memories from friendly Koreans they meet on their journey will likely outlast the results of the games when the Olympics are over.

[Pkg]

In a traditional Korean hanbok store in Gangneung...the owner gives detailed explanations to help foreign customers put on the traditional Korean garments.

[Soundbite] "First, put it into the left."

Fascinated by the charms of hanbok, the foreign customers are busy taking photos of themselves dressed in the Korean apparel.

[Soundbite] (Russian Tourist) : "I am really happy and grateful to come to Korea on the occasion of the Olympic Games and to participate in an event on Korean culture."

Bookstores have set up sections of books introducing Korean culture in English while preparing hands-on programs to write the Korean alphabet system hangeul.

[Soundbite] Park Jeon-eon(Welcome Shop Participant, Owner of Bookstore "Gan") : "I will do my best and play a role in introducing Korean culture and the beauty of hangeul."

These are the so-called welcome shops aiming to warmly receive and greet Olympic guests. Approximately 200 stores in Gangneung are participating. The welcome shops will provide Wi-Fi internet access and information on local tourist destinations for free. The Gangneung city government expects that the welcome shops will help vitalize the local economy.

[Soundbite] Kim Moon-ran(Gangneung City Gov't Official) : "We hope that Olympic guests will feel the warm hearts of Gangneung citizens through the welcome shops. We also expect to feel the benefits of visitors patronizing stores across the city."

Local stores have volunteered to serve as civilian diplomats to support the successful hosting of the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games next year.