An investigation has been launched by Pyeongchang 2018 into whether a cyber-attack was the cause of severe technological issues ©Getty Images

An investigation has been launched by Pyeongchang 2018 into whether a cyber-attack was the cause of severe technological issues at some of the venues during last night's Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games. 

The Main Press Centre and the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium were among the main affected areas, while Pyeongchang 2018 were also forced down to shut their website.

A spokesperson for Pyeongchang 2018 said they "cannot speculate" on the reason behind it but did not rule out claims that their servers were deliberately targeted by hackers.

Fears over a potential cyber-attack, particularly from North Korea, were prominent in the build-up to the Games.

A report from IT security firm McAfee last month warned they had already detected malicious cyber-attacks in connection with the Winter Olympics here.

Experts have since warned the Games pose "a significant security challenge" with regards to potential cyber-attacks.

Internet problems occured before and during the Ceremony at the Stadium, while televisions and wi-fi also experienced issues at the Main Press Centre.

Pyeongchang 2018 are aiming to show South Korea's technological prowess during the Winter Olympics but their plans have been hit after fears of a cyber-attack during last night's Opening Ceremony ©Getty Images
Pyeongchang 2018 are aiming to show South Korea's technological prowess during the Winter Olympics but their plans have been hit after fears of a cyber-attack during last night's Opening Ceremony ©Getty Images

In a statement, the Organising Committee said the glitches "impacted some of our noncritical systems last night for a few hours" but insisted it had no affect on the Ceremony itself.

"These have not disrupted any events, or had any effect on the safety and security of any athletes or spectators," Pyeongchang 2018 added.

"All competitions are running as planned and the systems are working at the expected level. 

"Our technology partners and our experienced team of ICT experts are working to maintain the systems. 

"We are currently investigating the root cause and will share further information as we have more details."

A Pyeongchang 2018 spokesperson later added that the problems had affected "several areas" across the Games but they were confident systems would be fully operational as soon as possible.

There were also reports of people receiving malicious emails from potential hackers.

The issues came as a surprise as South Korea is considered one of the most technologically-advanced countries in the world.

Organisers have promised to demonstrate their prowess in this area throughout the Games here through the use of high-speed internet and other innovations.