Pyeongchang

Pyeongchang County, host of the 2018 Winter Olympics, in Gangwon Province sits east of the capital in the Taebaek Mountains of South Korea. While winter sports are a relatively new diversion in South Korea, the Pyeongchang area, with its mountainous terrain and reliable snow conditions, has become the epicenter of skiing and snowboarding in South Korea. 
Pyeongchang hosted Korea’s first official skiing tournament in 1949, and in 1975, the first ski resort opened to the public. Today, the region is home to half a dozen major ski resorts, with new ones in the works in the lead up to the Olympics.
While most popular for its winter activities, Pyeongchang has plenty to offer the summer traveler as well. Two of the area resorts, Blue Canyon and Ocean 700, operate water parks during the warm weather season, while rafting, fishing, hiking and golfing are also on offer.

Practical Info

Pyeongchang is well connected with the rest of South Korea by bus. The trip from Seoul takes about 3.5 hours, but plans for a new high speed train will shorten the trip to just 50 minutes.