Seoul scrambles to prepare for NK participation in PyeongChang

South Korea is making preparations for North Korea’s participation in the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games, as the two sides prepare for a rare meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

Tuesday’s meeting will be the first high-level dialogue between the two Koreas since December 2015. The agenda is expected to focus on North Korea’s participation in the PyeongChang games that will run from Feb. 9 to Feb. 25. 

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Monday, a working-level taskforce has been established to support the ministry’s part in the talks.

In addition to preparing for the talks, the taskforce is said to be working on a number of ways to increase collaboration between the two Koreas’ teams in the games. 

Measures under consideration include the two teams making a joint entrance at the opening ceremony and fielding unified teams in selected events.

If realized, it will be the first time the two Koreas make a joint opening ceremony entrance at an international sporting event since 2007. Stating with the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the two countries have since made joint entrances at nine major international events. The two Koreas have had little interaction in sporting events after inter-Korean relations deteriorated in 2008.

In addition, plans for forming a joint cheering squad are also said to be under consideration, in an attempt to amplify “the symbolism (of PyeongChang games) as Olympics of peace.”

As South Korea scrambles to make the most of the apparent thaw in relations, reports surfaced that International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach will be meeting with the North Korean representative in Switzerland some time this week.

According to reports, Bach is scheduled to meet Chang Ung, a member of the North Korean Olympic body at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne to discuss North Korea‘s possible participation in the games.

Bach has been open to North Korea’s participation, and has stated that he supports the idea of the two Koreas fielding a unified team in the upcoming games.

During his visit to Korea in June last year, Bach described a unified inter-Korean team as being “in the spirit of Olympism,” and stated that the IOC had invited North Korea to the games in February.

On Saturday, Chang told reporters in Beijing that North Korea is “likely to participate” in the games, adding fuel to speculations that North Korea is seeking wild-card opportunities to participate in the PyeongChang games, a possibility which has been floating around for some time.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)