PYEONGCHANG: South Koreans angry at North Korea’s perceived “hijacking” of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics have sarcastically dubbed it the “Pyongyang Games,” but it seems many really are struggling to differentiate between the two places.
Hundreds of Twitter users in recent days have referred to “Pyongyang2018,” and while some were making a dig at the presence of North Korea at the Games, in many cases it appears to have been a simple mix-up.
The two are easily confused, but there is a world of difference between them: Pyongyang is the capital of nuclear-armed North Korea, while Pyeongchang is the South Korean region hosting the Winter Olympics.
The number of mentions of “Pyongyang2018” spiked during Friday’s opening ceremony, when hosts South Korea and the North — two countries technically still at war — marched together behind the Korean unification flag.
The growing number of apparently unintentional references to Pyongyang irked at least one Twitter user in Washington, DC, who tweeted: “The number of people mistakenly using #Pyongyang2018 to tweet about #PyeongChang2018 is not that surprising but nevertheless upsetting.”
It isn’t the first time Pyeongchang has been confused with Pyongyang. The gold medal for mix-ups goes to the Kenyan delegate to a UN conference held in Pyeongchang in 2014, who mistakenly flew to Pyongyang instead.
Landing without a valid visa, he was interrogated for five hours by North Korean customs officials and fined $500.
Eager to differentiate, provincial authorities have since re-branded the South Korean ski resort as “PyeongChang,” using an upper-case “C.”
Pyeongchang or Pyongyang? Twitter users place Olympics in North Korea
Pyeongchang or Pyongyang? Twitter users place Olympics in North Korea
MrBeast’s first Saudi-shot video racks up tens of millions of views as Riyadh Season leans into his brand
- ‘100 Pilots Fight for a Private Jet’ amassed around 72m views and tens of thousands of comments within days of release
- Production coincides with ‘Beast Land,’ a theme-park-style experience at Riyadh Season
LONDON: MrBeast’s first video filmed in Saudi Arabia has pulled in tens of millions of views within days of release, coinciding with Riyadh Season 2025’s celebrations themed around the US creator’s extravagant stunts and big-money giveaways.
The YouTuber, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, published “100 Pilots Fight for a Private Jet” on Saturday, featuring 100 pilots from different countries competing for a private jet worth about $2.4 million. The episode follows his signature formula of large-scale, elimination-style challenges built around eye-catching prizes.
Within a few days, the video had amassed around 72 million views and tens of thousands of comments, underscoring the continued global pull of MrBeast’s content. Organizers of Riyadh Season have highlighted the collaboration as a sign of the festival’s growing international profile.
Donaldson, who began posting videos in 2012, has become one of the world’s most influential online creators, with more than 450 million subscribers and a business empire spanning sponsorships, consumer brands such as Feastables, and food ventures including MrBeast Burger.
Various estimates value his wealth in the billions of dollars, although figures differ across sources.
His rapid rise has also brought scrutiny. A reality competition project, “The Beast Games,” has faced lawsuits alleging unsafe working conditions, harassment, and withheld pay and prizes, claims that Donaldson has dismissed as being “blown out of proportion.”
Some of his high-profile philanthropic videos, such as funding eye surgeries, hearing treatments, or well-building projects in Africa, have been questioned by observers who argue they blur the line between charity, branding, and spectacle.
Despite the controversy, his popularity remains strong, including in the Middle East. In Riyadh, he has lent his name and concepts to “Beast Land,” a temporary theme-park-style experience running from Nov. 13 to Dec. 27, featuring obstacle courses and game-style challenges reminiscent of his online videos.
The collaboration comes amid a broader push by Riyadh Season to cement the Saudi capital’s status as a major entertainment destination. Last year’s edition attracted more than 20 million visitors from 135 countries, and organizers say they expect greater numbers this year.
