SEOUL (AFP) – Kim Jong-Un on Monday gave the first indication that North Korea could participate in next month’s Winter Olympics in the South, despite tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.
“I sincerely hope the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will be staged successfully,” the North Korean leader Kim said in his new year’s address to the nation.
“We are willing to take necessary measures including to dispatch our delegation.”
Seoul and organizers have billed the Winter Games which begin on Feb. 9 as a “peace Olympics” and have been keen for the North to take part.
Two North Korean athletes – pairs figure skaters Ryom Tae-Ok and Kim Ju-Sik – have qualified for the Games but the North Korean Olympic Committee missed the Oct. 30 deadline to confirm to the International Skating Union that they would participate.
The pair could still compete if given an invitation by the International Olympic Committee.
The Winter Olympic main venues are just 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the tense border with the North and the build-up to the event has been overshadowed by tensions running high over the Pyongyang’s escalating nuclear and missile tests.
Kim said the Olympics would ”serve as a good chance to display our Korean people’s grace toward the world.”
“The year 2018 is a significant year for both the North and the South, with the North marking the 70th anniversary of its birth and the South hosting the Winter Olympics.”
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