N Korea invited to participate in Pyeongchang Paralympics

Seoul [South Korea], Feb 2 (ANI): The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) on Friday invited North Korea to participate in the next month's Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics.

According to the Yonhap news agency, it has offered the North Korean athletes two bipartite slots to compete in Para-Nordic skiing events.

"I think North Korea's participation will send out a very strong message of bringing peace through sport. For both countries, marching together at the opening and closing ceremonies will be a very historical moment," IPC President Andrew Parsons said in a statement.

If North Korea accepts the IPC's invitation, this will be the first time that the country will participate in any Winter Paralympics event.

North Korea has only appeared at two previous Summer Paralympics- London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Earlier, North Korea agreed to send a 150-member delegation of athletes, cheerleaders, an art troupe and reporters to the Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics during the inter-Korean talks.

The IPC said it also allowed the two Koreas to jointly march under a unified flag at the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics.

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

The Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will take place from February 8 to 25. The Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics will be held between March 8 to 18.

The two sides had met at the border village of Panmunjom, located along the heavily guarded Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) for working-level and military talks.

The development between the two countries has brought some ease into their strained relations. (ANI)