Winter Olympics 2018 opening ceremony – STUNNING pictures from Pyeongchang historic event

A spectacular display of K-pop music, dancing and explosions of colour marked the opening of the historic moment in South Korea.  

Approximately 35,000 spectators attended the ceremony, including the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. 

North and South Korean athletes marched together at the opening ceremony, the culmination of months of work by Seoul, which seeks to use the Olympics to ease tension spurred by North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium featured athletes from 91 countries, including a delegation from North Korea that marched in with athletes from South Korea.

Photos show North Korean cheerleaders greeting athletes by waving a version of the flag depicting disputed islands known as Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese.

Click through the gallery to see the highlights of the opening ceremony after a chaotic year of nuclear war threats and missile tests from the North.