PYEONGCHANG – Around 900 athletes and officials for the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games have already checked in to their living quarters in PyeongChang.

The PyeongChang 2018 organizers said 900 people from 37 countries have already entered the Paralympic Village in PyeongChang, 180 kilometres east of Seoul, for the March 9-18 Paralympic Games. The organizers expect the village to welcome more than 600 people this week, since there are 1,500 people from 49 countries registered to participate in the first Winter Paralympics in South Korea.

While for the Olympic Games, which ended its 17-day run on February 25, two athletes’ villages were prepared – one in Gangneung and one in PyeongChang – for the Paralympic Games, only the PyeongChang village will be used.

Just as at the Olympics, the village will have various facilities for athletes, including banks, post offices, convenience stores, laundry rooms and gyms.

“The PyeongChang Village will have eight 11-story buildings, which amounts to 372 units with 2,332 beds during the Paralympic Games,” an official with the PyeongChang 2018 organizing committee said. “Nearly half them are wheelchair accessible rooms. We have also set up wheelchair repair centres inside the village, so that athletes can feel comfortable during their stay.”

Once again sport can do what politics cannot. After PyeongChang Olympics also Paralympics will see the participation of North Korea, with the two peninsulas marching again under the same flag at the Opening Ceremony on Friday 9 March.