North Korean, Iranian athletes denied Samsung smartphone handout due to international sanctions

GANGNEUNG, South Korea, Feb. 7 (Yonhap) — PyeongChang Olympic organizers won’t provide North Korean and Iranian players with Samsung smartphones, which are available free to all other athletes, for fear of violating international sanctions on the countries, officials said Wednesday.

Samsung Electronics has offered some 4,000 units of the Galaxy Note 8 Olympic Edition to all athletes and International Olympic Committee officials visiting PyeongChang.

But they will not given to 22 North Korean and four Iranian athletes, as such handouts may violate United Nations’ sanctions that ban providing the countries with luxury goods and products that can potentially be used for military purposes, the committee said.

The Galaxy Note 8 is the latest flagship smartphone released by Samsung, boasting the signature S Pen stylus and a dual-lens camera setup.

The special edition comes with an Olympic-themed wallpaper, along with an application that provides details about the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

The price tag of a 64-gigabyte Galaxy Note 8 normally sits at around 1.09 million won (US$1,045) in South Korea.

This photo released by Samsung Electronics Co. on Jan. 17, 2018, shows the Galaxy Note 8 Olympic Edition. (Yonhap)

This photo released by Samsung Electronics Co. on Jan. 17, 2018, shows the Galaxy Note 8 Olympic Edition. (Yonhap)

First member of North Korea’s ruling dynasty to set foot in the South

Photo released by North Korean State Media shows Kim Jong Un’s sister at a table with other high-ranking government officials.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in (second from R) shakes hands with Kim Yo-jong, a sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in the city located some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, on Feb. 9, 2018. Kim arrived in South Korea earlier in the day as part of a 22-member delegation led by the North’s ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam (L). (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Yonhap) — South Korean President Moon Jae-in briefly encountered North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister on Friday at the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang.

Moon and Kim Yo-jung shook hands at their first-ever encounter during the ceremony. Kim arrived in the country earlier Friday as part of a delegation led by the North’s ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam.

She is the only member of the North’s ruling family to have ever visited South Korea.

The North Korean delegates are scheduled to attend a lunch meeting hosted by Moon on Saturday.

SEOUL, Feb. 7 (Yonhap) — Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, is set to become the first member of North Korea’s ruling dynasty to set foot in the rival South this week.

The Unification Ministry in Seoul announced Wednesday that Kim Yo-jong, presumed to be aged about 30, will be part of a high-ranking government delegation attending the Winter Olympic opening ceremony slated for Friday.

The team will be led by Kim Yong-nam, the nominal head of state. Kim Yo-jong is widely believed to be powerful and close enough to the leader to directly represent his views.

Kim’s visit could further boost the reconciliatory mood between the Koreas. Seoul wants to pave the way for the restoration of relations and possibly to talks for the denuclearization of the North.

Kim’s high status in the North Korean leadership and close blood tie with the leader raised expectations that she may serve as the reclusive brother’s representative to the South Korean government.

Kim Yo-jong is Kim Jong-un’s only sibling who is part of the North Korean leadership. Kim Jong-chol, the leader’s older brother, went out of the public eye after his younger brother took over the leadership. Kim Jong-nam, the leader’s half brother, was assassinated by apparent North Korean agents at Kuala Lumpur international airport in Malaysia last year.

Eric Clapton Super Fan? Who is Kim Jong Chol?

Unlike her ill-fated brothers, Yo-jong climbed the North Korean regime’s power ladder at an unprecedented speed.

Assassination of Kim Jong Nam Trial: What We Know So Far

She reportedly joined the Kim Jong-un regime in its initial stage, in 2012, before taking up a deputy director post in the Workers’ Party of Korea’s central committee about two years later. Ever since, Yo-jong has frequently been seen standing close to her brother at major state events, an indication of her closeness with him and the regime.

The Unification Ministry currently presumes that she is also serving as deputy chief of the all-important ruling party propaganda and agitation department.

Experts here said that having started early in her 20’s, Yo-jong’s role inside the current North Korea regime has already far exceeded what Kim Kyong-hui, once-powerful sister of late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, did for her brother’s regime in the past.

She is also known to have spent two years together with the leader studying in Switzerland in the 1990s.

Such a special profile is expected to make Yo-jong the mouth and ears of Kim Jong-un when she meets with South Korean officials, especially at a time when Seoul is desperately handling the difficult task of broker talks between the North and the United States for denuclearization.

North Korean art troupe rehearses for rare performances in South Korea, first since 2002

 

GANGNEUNG, South Korea, Feb. 7 (Yonhap) — North Korea’s art troupe on Wednesday held a rehearsal for its upcoming performances in South Korea, which will celebrate the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

The 140 member-strong Samjiyon Orchestra traveled to the South by ferry Tuesday to perform in Gangneung, a sub-host city of the Feb. 9-25 Winter Games, on Thursday, and in Seoul on Sunday.

It will be the first performance by North Koreans in the South since 2002, when Pyongyang sent a cohort of 30 singers and dancers from several music and performance groups to Seoul for a joint event.

North Korean art troupe arrives in South Korea for Olympic celebrations

After having lunch in their Mangyongbong-92 ferry, which is docked at the South Korean eastern port of Mukho, the North Koreans showed up at the Gangneung Arts Center, the venue of their first performance, at about 3:40 p.m. on Wednesday in an atmosphere quite different from that of the morning.

They changed to casual attire from the stylish red coats and black fur hats and ankle boots for female members and from black coats and hats for males.

Including its head Hyon Song-wol, the band members were wearing identical comfortable red round-neck t-shirts with a small North Korean flag on the left chest and black pants, apparently for the rehearsal.

They looked nervous and uncomfortable when they first arrived at the arts center in the morning to check instruments and stage equipment for about two hours. When South Korean reporters said “hello” to them at a distance, the members just walked past them without saying a word.

But in the afternoon, some members waved back and smiled brightly to the welcoming reporters with some others responding, “Nice to meet you.”

Around 10 residents of the city also shouted, “Nice to meet you” and “We are one,” towards the bus of the North Korean art troupe when it was in front of the art center. Some band members waved back.

No conservative activists, who caused a disturbance at Mukho port the previous day, were spotted there. They burned the North Korean flag and a photo of the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, in protest of the North’s participation in the Winter Games.

The North’s art troupe, which includes an orchestra, dancers and singers, is scheduled to return home after the performances in Gangneung and Seoul.

Later in the day, Chun Hae-sung, South Korea’s vice unification minister, paid a visit to the rehearsal site and met with the North’s delegation, including Hyon, the Ministry of Unification said.

Chun exchanged words with Hyon and other North Korean officials over the preparation of the planned performances, the ministry said.

sshim@yna.co.kr

North Korean art troupe arrives in South Korea for Olympic celebrations

Wearing red coats and black fur hats, female members of the group showed up at a train station in Pyongyang, a photo released by North Korea’s news agency showed. Courtesy KCNA.kp.

UDATE: Art Troupe Arrives Safely:

SEOUL/DONGHAE, South Korea, Feb. 6 (Yonhap) — North Korea’s art troupe arrived in South Korea by ferry Tuesday to perform in celebration of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics as Seoul temporarily lifted its ban on North Korean ships’ travel.

The North Korean ship Mangyongbong-92 carrying the Samjiyon art troupe came to the South’s Mukho port on the east coast at around 5 p.m.

North Korean vessels are not allowed to visit South Korea under Seoul’s unilateral sanctions banning inter-Korean exchanges, which were imposed on May 24, 2010 to punish the North’s sinking of a South Korean warship.

But the government has decided to make the art troupe’s sea travel for the Winter Games an exception to the sanctions.

This photo, taken Feb. 6, 2018, shows the North Korean ferry Mangyongbong-92 carrying the North's Samjiyon art troupe as it arrives at South Korea's Mukho port for its Olympic performances. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Feb. 6 (Yonhap) — A North Korean art troupe is set to arrive in South Korea by ferry Tuesday on a rare trip for performances to celebrate the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

The North Korean ship Mangyongbong-92 carrying the North’s 140-member Samjiyon art troupe arrives at the South Korean eastern port of Mukho on Feb. 6, 2018. The troupe will perform in the Olympic sub-host city of Gangneung and in Seoul to mark the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics in the South. (Yonhap) 

Members of conservative civic organizations scuffle with the police at the South Korean eastern port of Mukho while protesting the entry of the North Korean ship Mangyongbong-92 carrying the North’s 140-member Samjiyon art troupe on Feb. 6, 2018. The troupe will perform in the Olympic sub-host city of Gangneung and in Seoul to mark the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics in the South. (Yonhap) 

The two Koreas have engaged in a flurry of sports diplomacy after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un extended a rare olive branch to Seoul in his New Year’s message after a year of tensions sparked by the North’s nuclear and missile provocations.

The North’s art troupe, which includes an orchestra, dancers and singers, plans to perform in Gangneung, a sub-host city of the Feb. 9-25 Games, on Thursday and in Seoul on Sunday.

Hyon Song-wol, the head of the all-female Moranbong Band, will lead the Samjiyon art troupe. The band was created by an order of Kim Jong-un and features Western-style music and outfits, but it is not known whether other members of the band are included in the art troupe.

Hyon Song Wol

Hyon, an alternate member of the central committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), visited the South last month to check performance venues in the two cities.

North Korea’s state-run radio station reported Tuesday that the art troupe left Pyongyang a day earlier for the eastern port city of Wonsan to visit the South on the ferry.

The report said the group was greeted by senior party officials including Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of Kim Jong-un, and Pak Kwang-ho, the director of the WPK’s propaganda and agitation department.

The Mangyongbong-92 is a 9,700 ton cargo-passenger ferry that is named after a hill in Pyongyang near the birthplace of late founder Kim Il-sung.

It transported the North’s cheering squad for the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, the South’s southern port city. It was also used to accommodate the cheerleaders.

The ferry will be used as the art troupe’s accommodations when it holds the concert in Gangneung.

Details about the performances have not been made public, but the North informed the South last week that many South Korean songs will be included in the programs.

This file photo shows the North Korean ship Mangyongbong-92 at South Korea's southern port city of Busan when the North sent a cheering squad for the 2002 Busan Asian Games in the South. (Yonhap)

This file photo shows the North Korean ship Mangyongbong-92 at South Korea’s southern port city of Busan when the North sent a cheering squad for the 2002 Busan Asian Games in the South. (Yonhap)

North Korea abruptly calls off Olympic event at Mt Kumgang; Blames Biased Media Reports

SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) — North Korea has called off a joint cultural event scheduled to be held in its country to celebrate the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, Seoul officials said Monday.

The abrupt notification came in a telegram sent to South Korea at 10:10 p.m., saying the North was canceling the event scheduled to be held Feb.4, according to Seoul’s unification ministry.

The communist state was known to have cited what it claimed to be “biased” media reports about the upcoming event.

The unification ministry said the North also took issue with South Korean reports about its “internal event,” apparently referring to reports about a possible military parade marking the 70th anniversary of its military on Feb. 8, one day before the start of the Winter Olympic Games.

North Korea to mark Army Founding Day February 8, Day Before  PyeongChang Olympics, South Korea Announces

The Seoul government expressed disappointment, noting the North’s decision may undermine what it earlier called a “hard-earned” chance to improve inter-Korean relations.

“It is very regrettable that an event agreed by the South and the North will not be held due to North Korea’s unilateral notification (decision),” the ministry said in a statement. “What has been agreed must be implemented under the spirit of mutual respect and understanding as the South and the North have only taken a hard-earned first step toward improving the South-North relationship.”

The event at Mount Kumgang was to be part of a series of events to be held in the divided Koreas ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

The agreement to hold such events came after three rounds of talks between the two Koreas that also marked the first inter-Korean dialogue in more than two years.

North Korea has also agreed to stage art performances and taekwondo demonstrations in South Korea to commemorate its participation in the Winter Olympics.

Many local news outlets here, however, have voiced concerns over the joint events in that they may be in violation of U.N. Security Council sanctions currently in place against the communist North for its military provocations, including six nuclear tests.

The North is also set to host a group of South Korean skiers for a joint training session with its own athletes at its Masikryong Ski Resort on the east coast, reportedly from Wednesday.

Whether the other events will be held as scheduled could not immediately be confirmed. The scheduled events include art performances by a North Korean art troupe in Gangneung, near the host city of the Winter Olympic Games, and Seoul.

North Korean Olympic Cheering Squad Expected to be “Army of Beauties”

N. Korean cheering squad to support S. Korean athletes during PyeongChang Olympics

2018/01/27 16:40

In this file photo taken on Sept. 5, 2005, Ri Sol-ju (C), currently wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, leaves South Korea from Incheon International Airport after attending the 2005 Asian Athletics Championships in Incheon as a member of the North's cheering team. (Yonhap)

In this file photo taken on Sept. 5, 2005, Ri Sol-ju (C), currently wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, leaves South Korea from Incheon International Airport after attending the 2005 Asian Athletics Championships in Incheon as a member of the North’s cheering team. She was a teenage girl educated at a elite school for entertainers. (Yonhap)

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) — North Korean cheerleaders, who are set to visit PyeongChang for the Winter Games, will support South Korean athletes in addition to their own Olympians, a senior organizing official said Saturday.

The North offered to send athletes, a 230-member cheering squad and an art troupe to PyeongChang, host of the first Winter Olympics in South Korea. They also agreed on a unified women’s hockey team, with 23 South Koreans joined by 12 North Koreans.

But the cheering team could steal the athletes’ thunder. Pyongyang has yet to disclose details on how the cheering squad will be composed. But given past athletic competitions in the South, the North may send a group of elite female supporters, who fascinated their southern compatriots in the past with their good looks, charming demeanors and well choreographed moves.

Members of the team are reportedly picked through a vigorous examination of family background, appearance, skills and loyalty to the government.

Not every North Korean cheering squad going outside of the country is composed of young, beautiful women. The North sent a team of mostly middle-aged women and men to cheer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In this file photo taken Oct. 1, 2002, members of a cheering squad from North Korea show support for their athletes at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan. (Yonhap)

But the Kim regime is expected to send to PyongChang an elite team fit for a mission to embellish its image in the eyes of South Koreans and the wider world.

“As the Olympics is an event that draws the world’s attention, North Korea may want to imprint a positive image through visual effects,” said Kim Young-soo, a political science professor specializing in North Korea issues at Sogang University in Seoul.

 

 

North Korea Abruptly Cancels Trip to Prepare for Olympics: Now Reschedules

This photo, provided by South Korea’s unification ministry on Jan. 15, 2018, shows Hyon Song-wol, the leader of the all-female Moranbong Band, attending inter-Korean talks on the North’s plan to send an art troupe to the South during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. (Yonhap)

UPDATE: NK has now rescheduled and the visit to South Korea is back on.

SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Yonhap) — South Korea on Saturday demanded North Korea explain the abrupt canceling of a visit by its team in preparing for performances during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics next month in the South.

“We sent a document (to the North) at around 11:20 a.m. via the Panmunjom communications channel demanding an explanation for the North’s cancellation to dispatch its cultural advance inspection team,” Unification Minister Cho Myung-gyon said in a press briefing at the ministry.

The minister’s remarks came as the North notified the South late Friday that it will suspend the seven-member team’s trip originally slated for earlier Saturday to check the venues for its proposed art performances in the South.

The two-day trip was originally arranged after Pyongyang said it would send a team led by Hyon Song-wol, leader of the North’s all-female Moranbong Band. The band was created by order of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in July 2012 and features Western-style music and outfits.

Meet the Moranbong Band: NK’s All Female Pop Group & Dennis Rodman Favorite

In working-level talks with the South held Monday, North Korea agreed to send a 140-member art troupe, consisting of an orchestra, singers and dancers, for concerts in Seoul and Gangnueng, 260 kilometers east of the capital, during next month’s Winter Olympics.

North Korea to participate in four sports at PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics

Photo:In figure skating, the pair of Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik appears to be the logical choice for the North. They qualified for an Olympic spot last September but missed an Oct. 30 deadline to confirm their participation.  

2018/01/18 14:02

Lee Hee-beom, head of the organizing committee for PyeongChang 2018, said North Korea will send athletes in pair figure skating, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and women’s ice hockey.

Lee said the agreement was reached during working-level inter-Korean talks on Wednesday. But he declined to disclose the number of North Korean athletes as agreed on by the two sides because the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will have the final say on the matter.

In this file photo from Dec. 27, 2017, Lee Hee-beom, head of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics organizing committee, speaks during the opening ceremony of a promotional center for the games at KEB Hana Bank's headquarters in Seoul. (Yonhap)In this file Photo from Dec. 27, 2017, Lee Hee-beom, head of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics organizing committee, speaks during the opening ceremony of a promotional center for the games at KEB Hana Bank’s headquarters in Seoul. (Yonhap)

Lee left for the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, where IOC President Thomas Bach will chair a meeting Saturday on North Korea’s participation. The occasion is formally titled the “North and South Korean Olympic Participation Meeting,” and will include Lee, heads of the national Olympic committees for the two Koreas and IOC members from both nations.

“Basically, the IOC is the one that invites countries to the Olympics,” Lee told reporters at Incheon International Airport. “And the agreement between South and North Korea must follow the IOC’s standards.”

In figure skating, the pair of Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik appears to be the logical choice for the North. They qualified for an Olympic spot last September but missed an Oct. 30 deadline to confirm their participation. The International Skating Union (ISU) has noted that Ryom and Kim have “met all the necessary technical requirements” to skate in the Olympics.

Door Still Open to North Korean Figure Skaters to Compete in Winter Olympics

In women’s hockey, the Koreas have agreed on a joint team. The exact size of the roster will be determined at the upcoming IOC meeting, but the Korea Ice Hockey Association (KIHA) announced a 23-player roster, pending changes.

South Korea coach objects to proposed unified Korean team in women’s hockey

Earlier on Thursday, Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said in a lecture at a university that the two Koreas have agreed to add “five to six” North Korean players to the current South Korean team.

The Koreas have competed as one nation at the world table tennis championships and world under-20 football championships but never at the Olympics.

Also during Wednesday’s talks, the Koreas agreed to march together under the Korea Unification Flag at the opening ceremony on Feb. 9. It will be their 10th joint march at an international multi-sport competition and their first in 11 years.

The IOC will try to finalize protocols related to North Korea’s participation, such as the country’s flag, uniform and anthem.

Lee is part of a delegation that also includes Sports Minister Do Jong-hwan, Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Lee Kee-heung and IOC member Ryu Seung-min.

South Korea coach objects to proposed unified Korean team in women’s hockey

Update: 1.16.18

South Korea women’s hockey head coach Sarah Murray speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport on Jan. 16, 2018. (Yonhap)

“I think there is damage to our players,” Murray told reporters at Incheon International Airport. “It’s hard because the players have earned their spots and they think they deserve to go to the Olympics. Then you have people being added later. It definitely affects our players.”

S. Korea hockey coach says ‘damage’ inevitable if N. Koreans are added for Olympics

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2018/01/16/0401000000AEN20180116010500315.html

JINCHEON, South Korea, Jan. 12 (Yonhap) — South Korea has proposed assembling a joint women’s hockey team with North Korea at the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics, a senior government official said Friday.

Vice Sports Minister Roh Tae-kang said putting together the unified Korean team was discussed during Tuesday’s inter-Korean meeting, along with a proposal for a joint parade into the opening ceremony at the Feb. 9-25 Olympics.

Roh made the comment while visiting Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, 90 kilometers of Seoul, for a new year kickoff meeting.

Roh was a member of the South Korean delegation at the meeting, after which North Korea agreed to send a delegation to PyeongChang 2018, the first Winter Olympics to be held in South Korea. The South’s proposal of a joint hockey team wasn’t immediately made public on Tuesday.

The North didn’t immediately respond to the joint march proposal. The two Koreas are likely to hold working-level talks next week to further discuss the issue before a Jan. 20 meeting to be chaired by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The IOC said the meeting will involve the PyeongChang Olympics organizing committee, leaders of the national Olympic bodies for the two Koreas and other high-ranking government officials. The meeting “will take a series of essential decisions,” including the number and names of North Korean athletes to participate in PyeongChang, and also issues related to flags, anthems, ceremonies and uniforms.

Seoul’s Sports Minister Do Jong-hwan first raised the possibility of one hockey team in June last year, though it was immediately met with criticism. Those who opposed the idea said it was unfair to take away roster spots from South Korean players to make room for North Koreans and risk disrupting team chemistry.

In this file photo taken April 6, 2017, members of the South Korean and North Korean women's hockey teams -- in white and red, respectively -- join for pictures after their game during the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship Division II Group A tournament at Gangneung Hockey Centre in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. (Yonhap)

In this file photo taken April 6, 2017, members of the South Korean and North Korean women’s hockey teams — in white and red, respectively — join for pictures after their game during the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship Division II Group A tournament at Gangneung Hockey Centre in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. (Yonhap)

The Koreas fielded joint teams at the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships and the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship. But they have never had a unified team in any sport at multi-sport competitions like the Olympics or the Asian Games.

Roh didn’t elaborate further on whether the North had agreed to form one hockey team. But he did say he is seeking cooperation from the IOC and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to add extra roster spots for the Korean team, which would keep the current South Korean team intact.

“Even if we have one Korean team in women’s hockey, we’ll make sure it will not come at the expense of South Korean players,” Roh said, adding that the IOC and the IIHF are currently seeking understanding from other participating nations.

The women’s hockey roster is set at 23. An official from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) said South Korea is hoping to expand it to 35 players to accommodate North Koreans.

South Korea, ranked 22nd, will make its Olympic debut against No. 5 Sweden, No. 6 Switzerland and No. 9 Japan.

North Korea is ranked 25th. In April last year, South Korea, coached by former Canadian star Sarah Murray, defeated North Korea 3-0 at the IIHF Women’s World Championship Division II Group A tournament in Gangneung, the host city for all hockey games during PyeongChang 2018.

For the PyeongChang Olympics, North Korea doesn’t have any qualified athletes, and will need special wild-card spots granted by the IOC. In figure skating, the tandem of Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik could receive a spot. They qualified on merit last September but North Korea didn’t confirm their PyeongChang participation on time the following month.

In this file photo taken April 6, 2017, South Korean and North Korean women's hockey players -- in white and red, respectively -- are in action during the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship Division II Group A tournament at Gangneung Hockey Centre in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. (Yonhap)

In this file photo taken April 6, 2017, South Korean and North Korean women’s hockey players — in white and red, respectively — are in action during the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship Division II Group A tournament at Gangneung Hockey Centre in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. (Yonhap)

North Korea now expected to send 400-500 people to PyeongChang Olympics

2018/01/10 15:51

On Tuesday, South and North Korea agreed, in their first high-level talks since 2015, that the North would send high-ranking officials, athletes, cheering and performing arts squads, taekwondo demonstration teams and journalists, to next month’s Winter Games.

“A massive delegation totaling between 400-500 people is expected to come,” Lee said during a meeting with companies sponsoring the PyeongChang Olympics, adding that the two Koreas will work out details of the delegation’s visit.

Lee said the PyeongChang Games should leave an important legacy, just as the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul did.

Taekwondo, Performing Artist, Cheering Squad: North Korea Offers Participation in Winter Olympics

“It will be difficult to say that the festival of mankind taking place in PyeongChang, just 100 kilometers from the Demilitarized Zone, will make no contribution to the human history,” Lee said. “It is bound to make contributions of a sort and leave traces.”

Lee said he hopes the PyeongChang Games will help reduce security risks on the Korean Peninsula.

“Just as the ’88 Olympics contributed to dismantling the Cold War, we earnestly hope that the PyeongChang Winter Olympics will improve the current state of the Korean Peninsula, which is in a grave security situation and … contribute to world peace by reducing security risks,” he said.