No country has opted out of PyeongChang Olympics for security reasons: Seoul

Not a single country has officially decided not to join the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics so far despite tension over North Korea's provocations, the foreign ministry here said Tuesday, vowing to ensure the safety of the global sports event. 

"The South Korean government is making the utmost efforts to make the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics safe events," foreign ministry spokesman Nok Kyu-duk said in a press briefing. "Regarding the concerns some countries have expressed on the security situation, the government is proactively conveying this stance to them and will continue to do so in the future."
 

The spokesman also said, "There's no country that has officially notified (South Korea) of a decision not to participate in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics."

North Korea's recent nuclear test and a series of ballistic missile launches have been cited as security risks ahead of the South Korea-hosted Winter Games scheduled from February to March in the alpine city of PyeongChang.

South Korea is currently striving to secure North Korea's participation in the international sports event, although the communist country has not yet made its position clear. (Yonhap)