With the mercury plunging to minus 10 Celsius and clad only in white underwear, 'bunny ears', and a warm pair of gloves, animal rights activist Ashley Fruno called for an end to the fur trade in front of the Olympic rings in Pyeongchang.
"Unfortunately fur is being worn by many Koreans," Fruno said on Tuesday, acting on behalf of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
"We want to make sure that everyone, whether they're here as a local, as a tourist, as the Olympic committee, knows that they shouldn't wear any fur," Fruno said.
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"This is animal cruelty in 2018, we don't need this."
She added that China, the host of the 2022 Winter Games, is one of the world's largest fur exporters.
Posing for selfies with Olympic volunteers and drawing a crowd of curious policemen, a shivering Fruno also spoke briefly about South Korea's controversial dog meat trade, but said PETA had no plans for a campaign on the issue during the Games.
"We are against the dog meat trade but today we are talking about fur," she said. "Animal cruelty is animal cruelty. Whether it's dogs, or rabbits, minks, raccoons."
Fruno said that the reaction to PETA's style of protests in Asia was different from in North America and Europe.
"Animal rights is a newer concept in Asia, and while people are more shocked, we also find that many people just haven't considered these issues and are very sympathetic and open when they are made aware," she said.
She added that PETA's campaigns over the last 15 years in Asia were gaining traction and that they had contributed to a dramatic decrease in fur sales in China.
