South Korea selected to host 2018 Winter Olympics

The Olympic Games will be heading back to South Korea after a 30-year hiatus.

The International Olympic Committee announced Wednesday it has selected Pyeongchang, South Korea, as the host of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said the city received a majority of votes after just one round of voting among its 95 members. It marks the first time a city has won an Olympic bid in the first round of voting since 1995 when Salt Lake City was awarded the 2002 Winter Games.

Pyeongchang, which was also a candidate city for the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games before losing out to Vancouver and Sochi, Russia, will be the third Asian city to host the Winter Olympics. Winter Olympic Games were previously held in Japan in 1972 and 1998.

Munich, Germany, which hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics, and Anecy, France, were the other two candidate cities. Munich was vying to become the first city to host the Summer and Winter Games.

South Korea last hosted the Olympic Games during the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul.