Olympic Opening Ceremonies 2018: Top Moments, Reaction You Might Have Missed

The pomp and circumstance of the opening ceremony officially kicked off the 2018 Winter Olympics Friday.

The event, which acts as the ceremonial start of the Olympics, took place a day after competition began in curling and figure skating.

Like it does every few years, the opening ceremony carried a unique local flavor, with the lighting of the Olympic torch being an ode to the host nation's Olympic history.

Friday's procession through the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium was different than past opening ceremonies for a few reasons.

The Korean athletes, as they did in 2000, 2004 and 2006, walked into the stadium as a unified team. NBC's Olympics Twitter account gave us a glimpse of the moment Korea walked into the stadium during the parade of nations:

The Olympic Channel provided us with a look behind the scenes as the Korean athletes gathered for a selfie:

Before the host nation walked out of the tunnel, there were plenty of notable entrances by the Olympic participants.

Bermuda's small delegation caught everyone's attention by wearing shorts into the stadium. The island nation generated plenty of comments as the world got wind of its outfit.

Norway appeared most interested in Bermuda, as searches for Bermuda shorts spiked 80 percent in the Scandinavian nation, per Google's official Twitter account:

Another island nation that garnered attention during the opening ceremony was Tonga. Flag-bearer Pita Taufatofua, who became an internet sensation after walking out shirtless two years ago in Rio de Janeiro, returned to the Olympic stage Friday night.

Taufatofua, who is competing in cross-country skiing, expressed his gratitude for the attention via his Twitter account after the opening ceremony:

The United States of America entered behind flag-bearer Erin Hamlin, who is representing the U.S. for the fourth time in luge. NBC Olympics gave us a look at the moment the Americans appeared in the stadium:

USA Today's Rachel Axon provided an in-person account of what the lights around the stadium looked like when the United States marched into the stadium:

The United States' entrance occurred with some controversy, as a pair of impersonators dressed as U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un caused a stir in the crowd. Andrew Keh of the New York Times got a close look at the duo:

The impersonators continued to garner attention on their way out of the stadium, as Alex Ptachick of USA Today found out:

The ceremony itself was a beautiful representation of South Korea and featured a few excellent displays of technology. However, one scheduled part of the presentation didn't go off as planned.

Intel was supposed to use hundreds of small drones for a light show during the opening ceremony, but as Aamer Madhani of USA Today noted, it was scrapped because of an impromptu logistical challenge.

The most important light of them all illuminated without a hitch, as South Korean figure skating star Yuna Kim, who won the 2010 women's gold medal, received the Olympic torch after a brief performance on ice. NBC Olympics provided a glimpse of the performance:

Kim concluded by lighting the cauldron, which will burn bright for all of competitors and spectators to see until the closing ceremony on February 25. The Olympics' official Twitter account gave us a look at the flame in all its glory:

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.