A ray of light shone and a bell rang out to pronounce the start of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics opening ceremony on Friday.
All eyes settled on the rival Koreas, who marched together under a "Korean Unification" flag a day after the North staged a military parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army.
"This is the moment that we have all been waiting for: the first Olympic Games on snow and ice in the Republic of Korea," said International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach. "This will be the competition of your life. Over the next days, the world will be looking to you for inspiration."