International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge announced that the IOC has awarded the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in 2018 to the city of PyeongChang.

The South Korean city received 63 of the 95 votes cast by IOC Members in a first ballot victory over Munich, Germany (25 votes) and Annecy, France (7 votes).

It was the third time PyeongChang had put itself forward as a candidate city, narrowly losing bids to Vancouver, Canada for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and to Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Campaigning with the slogan "New Horizons," PyeongChang stressed to the IOC that it deserved to win on its third try and stressed that it would spread the Olympics to a new lucrative market in Asia and become a center for winter sports in the region.

Presenting the city’s final plea to the IOC Members meeting in Durbin, Kim Jin-Sun, former governor of the mountainous Gangwon Province where PyeongChang is located, said "We never gave up, and tried again and listened to your advice and improved our plans."

"I believe it is my destiny to stand in front of you for the third time," he said, with choking voice and tear-welled eyes. "Our people have waited for over 10 years for the Winter Olympics. Today I humbly ask for your support for the chance of hosting the Winter Games for the first time in our country."

Continuing the appeal to the IOC to reward the country's persistence after 10 years of bidding, Korean President Lee recalled the positive impact on his country of hosting the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

"Now Korea wants to give back to the Olympic movement and to the world," he said. "PyeongChang 2018 is a national priority of the Korean government and has been so for the last 10 years. I guarantee you the full and unconditional support of the Korean government.

"We worked hard, we'll make you proud."

2010 Olympic Winter Games figure skating gold medallist Kim Yu-na also delivered a strong presentation to the IOC members.

PyeongChang received the highest public support among the three bidders, with over 90 per cent of Koreans backing the bid in a survey.

PyeongChang will be the first city outside Japan (Sapporo 1972 and Nagano 1998) to host the Olympic Winter Games in Asia. The IOC continued its “first-time” trend in awarding the Games, going to Russia for the first time with the Olympic Winter Games in 2014, and to South America for the first time with the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.