The two Olympic Villages which will house athletes and team officials during the upcoming Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and Paralympics officially opened on Thursday.
The main village, located in the mountain cluster of Alpensia, will accommodate some 3,500 athletes competing in snow events, while the village in the city of Gangneung will house about 2,700 athletes taking part in ice sports such as hockey and skating.
The Norwegian delegation was one of the first to arrive at the mountain village, while Hungary, the Czech Republic and New Zealand teams were among those that entered the Gangneung village on its opening day.
The Japanese delegation is scheduled to arrive on Sunday and attend a team welcome ceremony on Feb. 7.
At the Gangneung village, where North Korean athletes arrived Thursday, the country's flag was hoisted with authorities' approval, despite the act violating a South Korean national security law.
The eight, 15-story buildings in the Pyeongchang Olympic Village will also be used as the living quarters for Paralympians, and were constructed to be fully accessible.
The Pyeongchang Olympics begin with the opening ceremony on Feb. 9 and conclude on Feb. 25. The Paralympics will be held March 9-18.
