North Korean figure-skating pair qualify for PyeongChang

North Korean figure skaters Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik qualified for next year’s Winter Olympics to be held in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province.

The pair finished sixth Friday at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany, becoming North Korea’s first athletes to qualify for the upcoming Olympics.

It is unclear whether the Kim Jong-un regime will allow the skaters to compete, but South Korea’s PyeongChang Olympics organizing committee said Saturday the pair’s achievement could make it easier to persuade the North. 

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)