South Korean officials have sought to show the rising popularity of their bid locally and internationally by hailing the high number of volunteers who have signed-up ahead of the deadline on September 30. 

A total of 91,656 applications from 145 countries were submitted, they said.

This number is now due to be whittled down to 22,400.

Those chosen will serve across the seven areas of Games information, operational support, media, sport, protocol and languages, medical services and technology.

Female candidates outnumbered male applicants, accounting for 78 per cent of the total, while 14 per cent were from overseas.

Of these, 2,890 were from Russia, 1,345 from China, and 1,158 from the United States.

An interview process is due to begin later this month before a series of training programmes commence next year.

"Volunteers will carry out a range of essential tasks, from medical care to language services," said Pyeongchang 2018 President Lee Hee-beom.

"Therefore, Pyeongchang 2018 depends on the volunteers to help make the Games a success. 

"In order to select applicants who meet the requirements and who will bring passion and enthusiasm to the Games, the recruitment process will be transparent, open, and fair."

The Rio 2016 volunteers programme is one area from which South Korean organisers could wish to learn, due to problems with both numbers and training.

Others may include how to avoid empty seats and budgetary challenges.

Governance, test events, construction and budgets are other topics set to be discussed in the plenary session of the IOC Coordination Commission.

The inspection panel will be chaired by Sweden's IOC Executive Board member Gunilla Lindberg and also includes China's IOC vice-president Yu Zaiqing and members Adam Pengilly of Great Britain and Barry Maister of New Zealand.

Gian-Franco Kasper and René Fasel, the respective Presidents of the International Ski Federation and the International Ice Hockey Federation, are also set to be present.

Three of the 13 strong panel have been excused from attending the meeting.

These are United States' IOC Athletes' Commission chair Angela Ruggiero, Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark.

IOC officials including Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi and sports director Kit McConnell are also due to make the trip, along with Presidents of other winter International Federations.

Three-days of meetings and inspections are set to begin tomorrow with a day of site visits.