North Korean delegation arrives in South Korea for Olympics prep
Hyon Song Wol, head of North Korea’s Samjiyon Orchestra, arrives at the South’s CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine), just south of the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, South Korea, January 21, 2018. (Photo: The Unification Ministry/Yonhap via Reuters) North Korean logistics officials have arrived in South Korea after a previous cancellation briefly cast doubts on the North’s participation in next month’s Winter Olympics.
South Korean broadcaster YTN reported the delegation had arrived in Seoul under a heavy police presence, then boarded a train to Pyeongchang, where the Olympics will be held from February 9-25.
The seven-member North Korean delegation had originally been scheduled to visit on Saturday to check venues for performances by an art troupe during the Olympics, but cancelled just before the visit with no explanation.
Officials from both Korea’s used a cross-border hotline to reschedule the visit.
The preparations are part of the North’s participation in the games, an apparent diplomatic breakthrough after months of high tension over the North’s nuclear and missile program.
North Korea will send 22 athletes to the Winter Games in the neighbouring South next month and compete in three sports and five disciplines, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Saturday.
Reuters
