North Korea confirms its plan to send athletes by air

North Korea officially confirmed Tuesday its plan to transport its 273-member Asian Games delegation by air starting next week, South Korean organizers said.

North Korea has already announced its plan to send a delegation of 273 athletes, officials and coaches to the upcoming Asian Games to be held in South Korea's western port city of Incheon from Sept. 19 till Oct. 4.

On Tuesday, Son Kwang-ho, vice chairman of North Korea's Olympic Committee, sent a letter to Kwon Kyung-sang, secretary-general of the Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee through the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, confirming the country's earlier announcement on its participation in the quadrennial event, committee officials said.

"According to the letter, North Korea plans to transport its sports delegates through the West Sea air route starting Sept. 11 in six groups," the organizing committee said in a news release.

The North's letter was in response to Seoul's request for details of its delegation's travel plan, it said.

The first group of North Koreans to arrive in South Korea  will include the country's men's and women's football teams. The communist country has committed to compete in 14 sports.

The two Koreas, divided since 1945, are still technically at war, having signed no peace treaty at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. (Yonhap)