Jong Cheon-lim is perhaps the most miserable person at the Winter Olympics.

Amid cheering crowds and newly minted Olympic champions, the Winter Games have left Jong and his fellow ski shop owners facing financial ruin after the local slopes were taken over for the competition.

Jong, who heads the Phoenix Ski/Snowboard Rental Shop Association, said his business is down over 80% this year, compared with last season, and 50 shops have kept the shutters down. The 20 that remain open have hung banners saying “2018 Pyeongchang Olympic kill us!” and pleading with officials to allow them to “keep our right to live”.

After meetings with local government officials and representatives from the Pyeongchang organising committee came to nothing, Jong and two other shop owners went to Seoul to protest outside the presidential palace, commonly known as the Blue House.

“The government is ignoring their citizens and we want an apology. They need to work for us instead of their own interests,” said Jong, who also owns the Worldski shop directly opposite the Olympic venue. “The government should listen to us and treat us as citizens of Pyeongchang instead of people without any rights.”

The Olympics have become notorious for the financial ruin host cities face. Many exceed original budgets, and public support for bids has plunged in recent years. But one advantage always promised is a boon to the local economy from the influx of spectators, officials and athletes.

Snow sport equipment rental shops in the Pyeongchang area typically rely on a five-month season to earn enough income to last the year. As well as an apology, the owners want the government to give each shop a minimum of $30,000 (£21,000) compensation.

They have set up a tent across the street from the Phoenix Snow Park, which hosts snowboarding and freestyle skiing events, with a list of their grievances.

The fame the Olympics has brought to this corner of South Korea, which lies in the country’s poorest province, is unlikely to translate into future profits, the shop owners say.

“I have no expectations for next year. Everyone in South Korea knows the Olympic games are in Alpensia,” he said, referring to a nearby resort that is hosting more events at the Games. “We’re only a small part of the Olympics, so the tourists will go there.”



Other businesses in the small town are booming though. A hotel just a few steps from the protest camp was filled to capacity, and many hotels in the area raised their charges while the Olympics are on.

Restaurants across from the snow park reported a similar surge in traffic, although they didn’t change their prices.

The lack of tourists coming to ski has had a ripple effect.

“The Olympics don’t only affect me – since I can’t afford to employ my staff we’re all out of work,” said Bae Sang-beom, owner of the Legend of Winter ski shop. “I don’t even expect sales to increase next year to make up for the huge loss this year.”

The Pyeongchang organising committee declined to comment.