Pyeongchang will host Winter Olympics Games in 2018

The South Korean city of Pyeongchang has been awarded the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The city won the first round of voting with 63 votes of the 95 votes cast in the International Olympic Committee voting on Wednesday, than 15 more was needed to avoid a second ballot.

Pyeongchang beat out bids from Munich, Germany, which received 25 votes, and Annecy, France, which received seven, according to the Associated Press.

This time Korea was lucky to win bid. The Koreans came up short in their previous bids for the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, losing out to Vancouver and Sochi, Russia, respectively.

Pyeongchang will become the first city in Asia outside Japan to host the Winter Games. Japan held the games in Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.

As the IOC president Jacques Rogge announced the city named the uncontrolled joy of the bid team, including South Korean president Lee Myung-bak and hundreds of thousands of people were burst into the happiness.

This is one of the happiest days for our country, our people and millions of youth[s] dreaming of winter sport," said Pyeongchang bid Chief Cho Yang-ho.

Pyeongchang will become the first city in Asia outside Japan to host the Winter Games. Japan held the games in Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.

"I will make a good Olympics," declared 69-year-old Lee. "This is a victory for the Koreans, thank you to them."

In a statement, the British Olympic Association offered their congratulations to Pyeongchang.

"As the first Asian city outside of Japan to host the winter Games, Pyeongchang will bring the excitement of the winter Olympics to a new audience. We look forward to what we are sure will be excellently organized Games that make Asia and the Olympic Movement proud," said BOA chairman Colin Moynihan.

The IOC President also thanked the other Candidate Cities which participated in the bid: Munich (Germany) and Annecy (France) for their efforts and the quality of their candidatures.

Rogge said: “PyeongChang’s inspiring project sets out to have the heart of the Olympic Winter Games beating in the mountains. The South Korean project will leave a tremendous legacy as PyeongChang will become a new winter sports hub in Asia, allowing athletes and young generations to practise winter sports at home, be exposed to the Olympic Values of Excellence, Friendship, and Respect, and pursue their Olympic dream. I congratulate PyeongChang. The IOC looks forward to collaborating with them over the next seven years.”