IOC meets on N Korea participation in Winter Games

Lausanne [Switzerland]: An International Olympic Committee (IOC) meeting was conducted over North Korea's participation in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, slated to be held next month.

IOC President Thomas Bach is chairing the four-party meeting at the IOC headquarters here. Representatives from the Pyeongchang Olympic Organising Committee and national Olympic bodies of the two Koreas are present.

IOC members from South Korea, Ryu Seung-min and Chang Ung from North Korea are also at the meeting.

The IOC will also finalise the details of North Korea's participation in the Winter Games, such as uniform, anthem, flag and the delegation size.

The last time, the two Koreas marched together was the 2007 Asian Winter Games in Changchun, China.

North Korea has never participated in an Olympic Games in South Korea. Seoul, which hosted the Summer Olympics in 1988 was boycotted by North Korea.

Also, the two countries have never had a unified team in any sport at the Olympics before.

However, the two Koreas competed at the world table tennis championships and the world youth football championships as one country in 1991.

North and South Korea have agreed to field a joint women's ice hockey team and march together under a unified Korea flag at the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

The two Koreas also agreed to hold a joint cultural event at Mount Kumgang on the North Korean east coast before the Winter Games.

Also, a joint training will be conducted among the ski athletes at Masikryong Ski Resort in North Korea.

The Winter Olympics is scheduled to take place at South Korea's Pyeongchang from February 9-25.

The development between the two countries has brought some ease to their strained relations.

The two sides have also agreed to hold military talks to resolve border issues.