Bach travelled to Pyeongchang on the newly-built high-speed railway from Seoul and was greeted at Jinbu, the main station for the Alpensia Olympic Park, by Pyeongchang 2018 President Lee Hee-beom, volunteers and South Korean athletes.

The IOC President then met with Lee and other Pyeongchang 2018 officials at the Organising Committee's headquarters.

The pan-Korean women's ice hockey team, concerns over cold weather at the Opening Ceremony on February 9 and other major issues and challengers facing organisers with less than a week to go before the Games begin were among the main items on the agenda at the meeting.

According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, Bach claimed he was "surprised" to see the North Korean ice hockey delegation arrive so early.

The historic team holding their first joint practice in Gangneung last week was described as a "very good sign" by Bach.

Lee said negative reports in the media regarding the joint team, which has been criticised by some IOC members and the head coach of the South Korean side, had subsided and been replaced by more positive developments.

The Pyeongchang 2018 President praised Bach for the pan-Korean team, claiming it was a "wise decision" to get the two countries to compete together.

The Liberty Korea Party, the main opposition in South Korea, have been among the leading critics and have dubbed the Games as the "Pyongyang Olympics" after claiming the Government has put too much emphasis on North Korean athletes participating.

Plans to allay fears over the freezing temperatures which are expected to greet the Opening Ceremony at the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Stadium were also discussed by Lee and Bach.

Each spectator attending the Ceremony will be provided with a small blanket as well as a rain coat and heating pads in an attempt to provide protection from the weather.

It comes amid predictions that temperatures could feel as low as minus 14 degrees celsius during both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the open-air stadium.

Bach, who will chair an Executive Board meeting in Pyeongchang beginning on Saturday (February 3), was full of praise for volunteers and Pyeongchang 2018 staff upon his arrival.

"You can be happy and proud at the same time about what you've achieved in the last couple of months because all the reports we're getting in Lausanne are very positive," Bach said, according to Yonhap.

"Seeing how well you're prepared and how well structures are established, we can really look forward with confidence to these Winter Games that they will be a great success. 

"If you continue to work as you have been working the last couple of months, I think nothing can go wrong."