569 athletes representing a record 49 National Paralympic Committees participated in these Games, including 3 newcomers Georgia, North Korea and Tajikistan.

Following its debut as disciplines under the Alpine programme in Sochi, snowboarding was expanded into a separate sport with 8 additional events.

[2][3] The opening ceremony was held on 9 March 2018 at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium, which was built specifically for the Winter Games.

It incorporates stylized renditions of the hangul letter ㅊ ch (as also used in the Olympic emblem), which symbolizes part of the name Pyeongchang and resembles ice crystals.

The Paralympic emblem features two of these letters joined together, symbolizing equality and a "grand" festival welcoming international athletes and spectators.

Actors Jang Keun-suk and Lee Dong-wook purchased 2,018 and 1,000 tickets for themselves and fans to attend meetups at para ice hockey games, while a K-pop concert featuring B1A4 and BtoB was also organized.

[43] IPC president Andrew Parsons expressed disappointment over the decision, but noted that the country "respects and values the IPC's vision and mission" and had "committed to working further with the IPC to improve the lives of people with an impairment in North Korea", while also acknowledging that the IOC had "made great progress in opening up dialogue between the two nations" prior to the Olympics, and that their meeting "underlines the tremendous ability of sport to bring countries together in positive dialogue.